The Dark Land
by Aria6
Summary: Set after Kingdom Hearts 2, this is a story of Axel's Heartless and a dark, flawed land. Axel/Sora, yaoi. Rated for both sex and torture/cruelty.
1. Chapter 1

The High Lord of the Dark Land looked into the mirror as the servant behind him slowly brushed his red, spiky hair. He sighed in pleasure as her brush caught on a snarl, and she worked it out more roughly than was strictly necessary. When she was finished with his hair, he spread out his large, beautifully ribbed wings and she lightly dusted the black skin with gold powder. The cosmetics were hardly necessary, but liked the way the gold looked against his obsidian skin.

In most ways, he was like a negative image of what he had been in life. His skin was gunmetal black, and there were white little darts on his cheeks. Only his eyes were unchanged… still the beautiful, glittering green they had always been. He had always wondered a bit why that was the case. He would have expected them to turn red.

"Master?" He glanced over at the servant, who was awaiting instructions. She was a newcomer to the Dark Land, and a pretty one as well. Her honey colored hair was still what it had been in her old life, and so were her dark brown eyes. Unlike most, she had adjusted well to her servitude and so had been given the prestigious duty of attending to him. He idly contemplated taking her, but decided against it. It would be showing too much favor too early.

"Fetch my breakfast and tend to your duties." She bowed her head and left the room. He contemplated himself in the mirror again, then picked up a book and began to read. He wasn't in the mood for socializing this morning. His court could go on without him. The story he was reading was an epic battle between the angels and the demons, with a bit of forbidden love between an angel and a succubus thrown in. Rubbing his eyes, he frowned, then sighed and reached for his reading glasses. The body he was currently inhabiting had very poor eyesight, which could be remedied with a spell for a time, but it always wore off.

"Ridiculous." He muttered as he read, but kept reading all the same. Oh, it was possible for an angel and a succubus to have a liaison, even fall in love. But the so-called Queen of Light was sure to find out, with fatal consequences to the angel. Unless the angel fled to the Dark Land, of course. That had happened once or twice. Once it had even provoked a war when the Queen had demanded they surrender the angel, and he had refused. He couldn't bring himself to regret spitting in her face.

He wondered sometimes if the angels had even the slightest clue how the world worked. He knew without question that the Creator of Worlds had explained things to the Queen, but had she explained it to her angels? That was an entirely different question. The Creator wouldn't care if she did or didn't, so it was possible they really believed their prattling nonsense about purging the Dark Land of evil.

As if. What the angels didn't seem to understand, and the Queen didn't seem to want to acknowledge, was that the land itself was flawed. The creation was flawed, and if they succeeded in purging the Dark Lands of all its current inhabitants, any angels they settled in the Dark Lands would be demons of various stripes within a decade. And if they tried to keep the land empty, they would have to slaughter all the innocent newcomers whose hearts had called out to the Dark Lands.

The door opened and he looked up as his breakfast arrived. The servant set it carefully on the table and whisked away the silver cover from… what?

"What is this?" He considered it dubiously. It looked like some kind of pizza, but he generally didn't consider that breakfast food, and he really did like breakfast foods.

"A breakfast pizza, Master. It's a hash brown crust with fresh tomato sauce, scrambled eggs, sausage and mozzarella cheese. The cook says that if you don't like it, Master, she also has some wonderful muesli ready as well."

"Did the head chef tell you to say that?" He said dryly, and she nodded. "Impudent wench." Her eyes widened, suddenly fearful and he waved it away. "Not you. She knows I hate muesli. It's the dried fruit, I can't stand it." He hated the way it always got stuck in his sharp, pointed teeth. He had better things to do then pick fruits and nuts out of his teeth for an hour. He tentatively tried the pizza, then began to eat. "Fortunately, this is good, so you can tell her I spare her life. This time." He wasn't really kidding. Fortunately for the head chef, she had a way of proving her worth every time he was tempted to decapitate her. "You may go." He took a deep drink of his coffee, enjoying the burning heat as the servant hastily departed.

He took the time to have a leisurely breakfast, then settled in a comfortable chair to read his book. Eventually, of course, he would have to appear before the Court… but he was the High Lord. He could take his time.

* * *

Eyes slitted, the High Lord watched his court at play.

The great hall was massive, as it needed to be to fit even most of his court. There wasn't enough room for all of it, and he had considered expanding but the positioning of the court made it difficult. Some of the best quarters in the place would have to be leveled to make room. Also, it was helpful to have a way to indicate obvious displeasure and lack of status.

A whip cracked, and he turned his head idly to watch Mirtana disciplining her subordinates. She was the second housekeeper, and her people handled the second wing of the hall… and, by iron clad custom, had a place in the serving rotation of the great hall.

If he could have, he would have left her out of that rotation. Her women and men… mostly women… were completely naked. The better to beat them, as Mirtana liked to say. Although her torments could get far, far, far more creative than that. He'd heard that the torturers sometimes went to her for inspiration. Alas, while the dark energies of the Dark Land made everyone more attractive, nothing was going to help some of Mirtana's slavies. He averted his gaze as she cracked her whip again, and caught the eye of a pretty little succubus.

The hall was particularly hot today, even for the Dark Land, and she was wearing as little as possible… glass beads and feathers strung on golden threads. She glanced away, as if uninterested, but deliberately walked past, her beads sliding over slick skin and giving an accidental peep show that was particularly titillating for the casualness of it. He mentally noted her, and quickly recalled her name… Istava, a relative newcomer to the court. She had completed her term as a servant only a year ago.

All newcomers were servants of some type, except for the rare few who were so powerful they warranted an immediate place. Eventually, when it was decided they had adapted sufficiently, they were officially inducted to a particular type of demon and given permission to find other places at the court or elsewhere. Some stayed as servants because it was what they were good at… and that too was an avenue of advancement. The High Lord smiled briefly as he remembered his own arrival at court. He had glowed with the power of fire and darkness, and the current High Lord had tried to eliminate him immediately. It had done him no good at all.

"My lord!" A Rage demon knelt before him, and the High Lord contemplated his slick black hair for a moment before gesturing to him to rise. The demon did, his black armor creaking as he stood. The Rage demons were elite fighters, and often patrolled his realm with Blade demons, gathering up newcomers and keeping the angels from getting ideas. As well as enforcing whatever laws they pleased on the demons outside the court. "We have a new group of newcomers for you to review, my lord." The High Lord nodded gravely. It was another tradition that all newcomers be brought to him so he could pick out any obvious anomalies.

"Arise, and bring them in." The court quieted a bit as they got a good look at the new meat. Not one of them was past thirty years in age, which was normal. Only relative youngsters came to the Dark Land. A few greater Nobodies that he easily picked out, a single greater Heartless, and the rest were mortals. Mostly human, a few beings he recognized as a type of elf-

"Axel?!?" A brown haired boy gasped, and the High Lord's eyes snapped onto him. One of the Blades cursed and drove a booted foot into the boys back, slamming him down onto his face. But he froze as the High Lord raised a hand. He knelt down beside the boy, his black robes pooling on the floor, and lifted the child up by his chin.

_Seventeen years old at the most. Probably younger._ He thought, feeling a strange pity in his dark heart. It was very young to come to the Dark Land. Big blue eyes stared at him, terrified and confused. The High Lord noted that the boys' clothes were ripped badly, and there were bloody marks beneath. The rips also revealed a very fine body, slender but muscular and quite appealing. He ran a startlingly red tongue over his black lips, then clicked his teeth together as he sensed the latent power in the boy. It was very unusual, and he noted the boy was chained heavily. No doubt he had put up a fierce resistance when the Rage and Blades had found him.

"What is your name, child?" He asked in a deceptively gentle tone, and the boy shivered before he answered.

"Sora… who… who are you? You look like Axel but…" The features were exactly the same, but the black skin and white marks were clearly very different. The High Lord smiled, revealing delicately pointed fangs.

"I knew an Axel, once upon a time. He was my Nobody. And I… am a Heartless." The boy's eyes widened in fear and… resolve? Determination? Some kind of will to resist. Axel sighed, then smiled again, slowly releasing the boy's chin and making it into a caress. He stood, glancing over at the Rage who had watched silently. "Have this one cleaned, his wounds seen to, and brought to my room. Oh… and get a special pair of shackles from the armory." He looked down at Sora and smiled again. "The ones designed for keyblade bearers." Sora blinked and paled, and Axel was pleased to see some of his certainty melt away.

And so it should. He wasn't the first keyblade holder the Dark Land had seen, and he wouldn't be the last.


	2. The Creator of Worlds

Axel stepped into the room on silent feet, and watched the boy for a moment. Sora was entirely unaware of his presence, fascinated by a light sculpture on the bookshelf. It was constantly changing and reshaping, and when the boy touched it, it wound around his fingers. The boy was wearing a white robe, blue metal cuffs and was looking pink and well-scrubbed. His hair was still slightly damp, and Axel had to resist the urge to walk up and lick a bit of dampness off his neck.

_Down boy,_ he thought to himself, then grinned. It had been a long time since anyone had reminded him of his other name.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" He said conversationally, and watched, amused, as the boy squeaked and whirled to face him. Blue eyes met green, and Sora seemed to forget to breathe for a moment.

"Uh… yes." The keybearer swallowed, and his voice firmed. "Why did you have me brought here?" Axel lifted his eyebrows. Was the boy that much of an innocent?

"Many reasons. Please, have a seat." He gestured to the chairs, taking one himself. They were plush and sinfully pleasant to sit in. Sora hesitated, then took the chair across from him. "Would you like something to drink?" He offered, and Sora nodded.

"Yes, please." He was hesitant, but… he was also parched. The High Lord nodded and gestured, calling in his servant with a mental command.

"Fetch us… hmm. An Irish coffee for me, and a Shirley temple for my guest." Sora blushed slightly and shook his head.

"I'm not a little kid you know." He muttered, and the High Lord paused, smirking slightly.

"You would like something more adult? Very well… make that a coconut blend." That was a vanilla milkshake spiked with a very potent, coconut based alcohol. It was quite deceptive, really. The servant bowed her head for a moment.

"Yes High Lord." He returned his attention to Sora as she left the room, waiting patiently for the boy to say something. It didn't take very long.

"What is this place? Why did you bring me here? What's… what's going on?" Sora's fingers dug into the armrests of the chair, and Axel felt another moment of that strange pity. Truly, the boy was an innocent.

Still. He was an innocent who belonged here, or he wouldn't have come.

"This is the Dark Land. As for why you are here, you came here of your own free will." Sora's eyes widened at that, and he smiled, revealing his fangs. "Some part of your heart wanted to be here."

"That can't be. I don't want to be part of the darkness." Sora said, shaking his head, and Axel sighed.

"Not the darkness, the Dark Land. There's a tremendous difference." Sora looked confused, and Axel almost wished he'd left the boy to the usual orientation process. But he hadn't, so he would have to give the speech himself. "Let me tell you the story of how this world came to be."

"Long, long ago, longer than you or I could comprehend, there was nothing but formless light and darkness. The light and dark churned, creating a vortex of pure, elemental power. Out of that power was birthed an intelligence." He paused as the servant arrived with their drinks, and Sora thanked her quietly as she handed him his milkshake. She smiled at him briefly, before leaving the room. "This intelligence was the Creator of Worlds."

"It was God?" Sora said, then hastily took a drink of his milkshake. Axel smiled and shook his head.

"Not in the way you mean. It is much greater than the Gods that came later, yet less than… something. Like you and me, it has a lifespan. Now, to get back to the story. The Creator began creating worlds from the nothingness. Like all young creatures, it made mistakes, and this was the very first world it created. Also like young creatures, it saw things as very black and white to begin with. Good and evil, order and chaos, light and darkness." Axel sipped his coffee for a moment. "So it created a world that was sharply delineated between the two. The cold land of order and good, and the hot land of evil and chaos." Sora listened, wide-eyed, but didn't interrupt. "That's how it was originally. The creator made a race of angels to inhabit the cold land, and a race of demons to inhabit the hot lands. But…" Axel drew out the word, and smiled. "The Creator had made many mistakes. The original demons and angels were immortal and could not reproduce. They were sexless and had set natures. The Creator quickly grew bored of them, and moved on to create worlds that were more varied. Along the way, the Creator came up with various modes of reproduction and also created Kingdom Hearts to serve as 'anchors' to the other worlds."

"Eventually, the Creator came back to this world." Axel sipped his coffee again, pondering the past. "It found that the angels and demons had died out, but that creatures from its other worlds had found this one. With the insight of maturity, the Creator saw its mistakes clearly. This world has no heart, so it depends on the Creator directly for existence. If the Creator ever vanishes completely, this world will break apart and return to the light and darkness it was formed from. Also, because of the peculiar nature of this place, it needs to be inhabited to be complete… and all newcomers quickly take on the attributes of the demons and angels that used to live here."

"So I'm going to become a demon?" Sora said dubiously, tilting his head to one side as he thought about it. "But not darkness, so that doesn't mean I'll be evil, right? It'll be like… like Halloween Town." Creepy, scary and possibly horrible but not necessarily evil. Axel frowned, tilting his head to one side thoughtfully.

"I don't know what Halloween Town is, but I think you've grasped the concept. As for why you're here…" He dropped his voice and smiled as Sora shivered. "I think you know the answer to that, Sora." Sora's eyes widened, and he shook his head.

"No, I don't! I was doing just fine." He had gone home to the Destiny Islands and was going to school again with Riku and Kairi. The High Lord chuckled, and a wave of darkness slid over his vision for just a moment. When it cleared, there were strong hands on his shoulders, gently massaging them. Sora tried to pull away, but for all their gentleness they were hard as iron. He shivered again as Axel spoke in his ear, his hot breath tickling his skin. It made him feel… odd in the pit of his stomach.

"Doing just fine… but not happy, were you Sora." Axel murmured in his ear, sliding one hand lightly down his chest as the other held him in place by the shoulder. "A keyblade holder, so young… did you save the world? Did you save many worlds? What adventures did you have? And then…" Axel drew out the world, then delicately nipped Sora's neck, making the boy gasp and squirm. "Then you came home. Just a child again, going to school, minding your mother… but it wasn't the same, was it? Because you had changed. You were different. And that life was no longer enough…"

"Yes…" Sora whispered. "So stupid… Riku was the one who wanted to go… and now he's happy but I'm not…" He looked up at the dark demon standing above him. "How did you know?" Axel smiled, showing a glint of white teeth against black skin.

"It's a common story, although the details vary." He slid open Sora's robe, gently touching his bare skin, and the boy suddenly jerked away, surprising him. Axel hissed unhappily as the boy lurched to his feet, turning around to face him.

"What are you doing?" Sora spread one hand and tried to call in the keyblade… and yelped as the cuffs he was wearing flashed silver. "Ow!" He flinched as the cuffs stung him, then growled defiantly at Axel. Axel only grinned and advanced on the boy. That growl was so… _sexy._ He pinned the boy easily against the wall in one lightning move, pressing against him.

"I think you know exactly what I want." Axel kissed the boy then, roughly, and sighed in pleasure as Sora tried to bite him. "I love pain, you know. Part of being a Heartless…" Sora squirmed, a bit of panic creeping into his eyes. "Why so afraid? Didn't you ever wonder what it would be like… my Nobodies' hands on you, touching you everywhere, his fire inside you. You dreamed of him sometimes, didn't you? Naughty boy… but you're not a child anymore Sora. And you can do anything you please." Sora's eyes glazed slightly, almost hypnotized by the dark, velvety whisper. And it was true. He had dreamed of Axel that way.

"Yes." He said hoarsely, and that was all the encouragement Axel needed to kiss him again. This time Sora yielded to the kiss, allowing Axel's hot tongue inside. _He's so hot,_ Sora thought muzzily, as Axel's hands glided over his body. He groaned in Axel's mouth as those hot, almost burning hands hooked into the top of his white boxers and slowly pulled them down, off too sensitive skin.

Axel, meanwhile, wanted nothing more than to pounce Sora onto the bed and have his way with the boy. But Sora was no incubus, and he had to be a virgin, so Axel carefully leashed his own desire. Out of that vague sense of pity in his heart, and also self-interest. If he showed some consideration now, he could have Sora in his bed for some time… and he wanted that. As he lifted the boy up and carried him to his bed, Axel vaguely wondered why that was. The boy was no prettier than the incubi and succubi he passed on daily.

But this was a poor time for introspection, and Axel laughed at himself before he turned his attention back to Sora. Black hands stroked the soft, velvety skin and Sora gasped and moaned, tossing back his head as Axel stroked the sensitive skin between his thighs, teasingly avoiding the part that most wanted to be touched.

"Axel… please…" Sora panted, and Axel grinned, setting a hand on his stomach and slowly licking his member. Sora squirmed, then moaned as Axel took him in his mouth. It took a fair amount of concentration not to scrape the sensitive skin with his fangs. There were times, Axel reflected, that sharp teeth could have a downside…

He snapped his fingers, and they were coated in a special lubricant the alchemists had come up with a long time ago. Still pleasuring Sora with his mouth, he reached behind him to open him. The boy squirmed again, but this time not in pleasure as the fingers intruded in a sensitive spot. Axel was glad he had decided to take his time… Sora had clearly never done this before.

"Relax," He lifted his head away for a moment to advise the boy, then continued with his self-appointed task. One finger became two, and two became three, but it took a bit of time before he was satisfied that Sora was ready. When he was done, he gripped the boys' hips and slid inside.

Sora's gasp was not of pleasure, and Axel gasped as well… delighted by the friction, the tightness and heat beneath him. It took all of his willpower to hold still and not thrust into that glorious heat, but he waited until the pain had faded from Sora's face before he moved again. Then he slowly thrust, and Sora moaned as he hit something deep inside that felt good, oh so good…

"Axel," He panted, gripping the High Lord's shoulders. "Axel!" Axel grunted and began to take the boy faster, more roughly, speeding the rhythm.

For a timeless moment, they mated, their bodies following patterns as old as time. But nothing could last forever, and the friction and heat were finally too much. Sora released with a cry, his seed wetting both their bellies, and Axel climaxed a moment later, biting Sora's shoulder lightly. For a moment, they lay still, still linked together and unable to move. Then Axel slowly pulled away, smiling at his new lover. He snapped his fingers again, and a small towel appeared. He used it to clean them both off, as Sora lay limp, already beginning to doze off.

"Axel?" The keyblade wielder said sleepily, and Axel vanished the towel, laying down beside him.

"Yes?" He slid an arm over the boy, cuddling Sora to his chest.

"You have wings?" Axel blinked at the soft question.

"…You just now noticed this?" He had thought it was blindingly obvious. Sora yawned, closing his eyes.

"Thought… they were part of your cloak or something…" Axel snorted at that, and gently stroked the boy's hair.

"Go to sleep, Sora." They would have plenty to do in the morning.


	3. Cats and Bodies and Rages, oh my!

Axel watched Sora as he was sleeping. The boy looked peaceful, like a sleeping angel… but nothing lasted forever, and Axel watched, amused, as a beam of sunlight from the window creeped over Sora's face and into his eyes.

Sora winced in his sleep and tried to roll over to escape the light, but it was too late. He opened his eyes, blinking sleepily.

"Good morning sunshine." Axel whispered playfully, and Sora tensed for a moment, eyes widening… then he relaxed, snuggling up against him.

"It wasn't a dream…" Axel smiled, petting Sora's head gently. The boy had had a very eventful day yesterday, so that wasn't really a surprising thought.

"Not in the least." Axel lifted Sora's chin and kissed him, enjoying the feeling of the boy's lips under his.

"Axel, I'm pretty sore." Sora said as the kiss ended, a bit worried. He didn't think he was up to that again so soon. But Axel only smiled, reaching under the blanket to stroke Sora with skillful hands.

"There's more than one way to have fun, Sora." Then there was silence, except for moans and gasps. Sora's head fell to the side as Axel explored his neck, and he blinked.

"Axel…" He gasped out, then tugged on the redhead's hair. "Axel… why…?"

"Why what?" Axel muttered as he nipped Sora's neck lightly, enjoying the grip on his hair.

"Why… is there a winged… cat watching us?"

"What?!?" Axel abruptly pulled away, to Sora's disappointment, and turned to glare at the balcony. The cat stretched, yawning, and batted her wings a few times before touching the glass doors with one soft paw. They opened immediately, and the cat leapt inside… and became a woman. Sora squeaked in surprise, pulling up the blanket, but Axel only stared at her, unconcerned by his nakedness.

She was a hauntingly beautiful woman, slender as a reed with peach colored skin, flowing gold hair and glowing green eyes. Those, Axel knew, came from her natural heritage as a Blood Elf. But the curling red horns that swept back from her forehead, and the tiny red bat wings, were from her demonic nature. She could have been a succubus or a banshee, but she wasn't. The little hourglass pendant on her necklace told the true story.

"You summoned me, High Lord." She said dreamily, and he frowned.

"No, I didn't." He would have remembered doing that. She looked momentarily puzzled, and then shrugged.

"Then you were going to. You want me to test to see what kind of demon he's going to become." She pointed to Sora, who blinked, and Axel sighed, irritated.

"Do I?" He said dryly, but she just nodded, completely missing the sarcasm or simply uncaring.

"Yes." She took out a small vial of dark green liquid, and pulled out what looked like a large black thorn. She walked over to the bed and handed it to Sora. "Prick your finger with this. Or dip it in semen, either way works." Sora blushed at that instruction and pricked his finger. She took back the thorn, delicately smearing his blood along it before dropping it into the vial. "Hm." She stared at the vial unblinkingly for a long moment. "He's going to be a Rage. You should introduce him to them." She tossed the vial to Axel, who incinerated it.

"Any other unwanted and unsolicited advice, before you go?" Axel asked, and she nodded.

"Have the duck for supper tonight. It's going to be excellent." Turning back into a cat, she yawned and scratched herself before letting herself back out through the balcony. The wings that would have been inadequate for a woman did fine work with a cat, and she fluttered away.

"Um, Axel? I think that really killed the mood for me. And I'm starving." His stomach rumbled on cue, and Sora blushed as Axel smiled. Then he sighed.

"I think it killed it for me too, and that takes a lot of work. Ah well. There's always later." He gave Sora one last rough, lingering kiss before climbing out of bed and throwing on a black robe. Sora retrieved his white one, which was looking a bit worse for wear, and Axel frowned. He would need to get the boy some temporary clothes, and have the tailors put on the job.

_Details. Everything is in the details._ He mused, mentally tallying the things Sora would need. Since he had taken the boy out of the usual procedure, he would need to issue the orders himself to get things done. With a thought, he summoned his servant again.

"Please fetch us breakfast, then a set of clothing for him." Axel glanced over Sora thoughtfully. "Probably medium, and make it a Rage recruit set." The Rages' actually had uniforms for their new recruits, which was helpful.

"Yes High Lord." She nodded and departed. Sora took a seat with a wince. He was definitely feeling tender.

"Axel, who was that woman? And what's a Rage demon?" Sora felt a bit stupid, having to ask so many questions… but there was so much he just didn't know.

"That woman was Blynda, First Lady of the Hourglass. Hourglass demons are seers, mostly, although they have other abilities." Axel said easily, then frowned as the light glinted off the cuffs on Sora's wrists. "That reminds me… here." He reached over to tap them, and invisible seams in the metal opened. Then the cuffs vanished, returned to the armory. "Those were to prevent you from using your keyblade, but you'll probably need it to meet the Rage demons. They're my elite fighting force." He smiled, amused, as Sora looked a little worried. "I think you'll like them. Just don't let them push you around."

Sora snorted at that thought, and was about to say something when breakfast arrived. Axel eyed the spread approvingly. Anticipating that he would be particularly hungry, the chef had sent up some of his favorites… fried quail eggs, sausage, toast with jam and a small basket of cinnamon and date biscuits. And coffee, of course. The servant was also carrying the clothes tucked under one arm, and set them down on a chair.

"Thank you, that will be all." Axel said to her, and she nodded with a smile, glancing at Sora before she left. Sora had already picked up the clothes, and had begun changing. Axel smiled, sipping his coffee as he watched the brunette change. It was a pretty sight.

And it was just as good when he was clothed. The clothing was a little baggy on him, but the soft leather shoes it came with magically adjusted to fit. Black shorts and a black t-shirt, with a golden logo on the back. A fist rising out of a circle of gold, the symbol of the Rages, although a few of them embellished it with an upright middle finger.

"It's kind of light…" Sora was glad because of the heat, but he felt a little vulnerable. It was a lot less clothing than he usually wore.

"You'll be glad of that soon, when the hot season arrives." Axel commented as he took some of the eggs and sausage. Sora tried a cinnamon biscuit, chewing thoughtfully.

"Wait, you mean it's not hot now?" That was a rather appalling thought. It was already as hot as the hottest days of summer in the Destiny Islands. Axel shook his head.

"Oh no. Winter is just ending. In the summer it gets so hot this place is almost uninhabitable. We move to the summer palace in a month or so. It's down by the lake." Axel smiled, sipping his coffee. "The move is highly entertaining." Sora tilted his head inquiringly, but Axel didn't elaborate.

They finished the meal in a comfortable silence, and Axel stretched, snapping his joints for a moment before he stood. "We should start with the baths. The Rage's will likely be there, this time of morning." And even if not, he and Sora both needed a bath and he didn't have a private one in his chambers. An annoying oversight, but the hall itself was truly ancient. Back when it had first been built, most people had believed that bathing was unhealthy. And fixing the oversight would have been far more trouble than it was worth.

So they took the staircase down, into the bowels of the hall. Other High Lords had had their quarters at the centre of the hall, but they hadn't been flying types. Axel had always preferred being able to leap off his balcony and soar over his realm anytime he pleased. Sora winced occasionally, and Axel slowed his pace to a comfortable one for the brunette. It wasn't like he had any pressing concerns in the morning. Serious business was always conducted in the evening or night.

The hall itself was a bit of a maze, and Axel could quickly tell that Sora was hopelessly lost. And the architecture was odd, to say the least. Small passageways widened at points for no discernable reason, and the black brickwork sometimes faded into grey or even white stone. There were more light sculptures like the ones in Axel's room, but this time hanging from the ceiling and giving the passageways a light, pleasant glow. The demons they passed politely ignored them. They knew that the current High Lord, unlike many of his predecessors, preferred to not be kow-towed to at all times.

At one of the widened spots, two sirens and a banshee were singing and dancing. Scarves and bright, shiny hair fluttered through the air as they sang, their voices easily melting into a soaring harmony. Axel smiled and briefly joined their dance, moving to the beat as he pulled Sora along. The boy was struggling to stay aware as the music tried to seduce him into staying. But Axel's grip on his wrist anchored him enough to make it past the sirens.

"Those were sirens and a banshee." Axel mentioned casually as Sora blinked, coming back to himself. "Although there really isn't any difference between the two, except that men hate being called sirens." Mythologically, banshee's were supposed to be women too, but the male sirens had been willing to accept that title. "When you've become a proper demon, you'll have some immunity to their songs." Axel smiled impishly then. "What do you think of the hall?"

"Oh, it's… kind of nice." Sora wasn't at home in it yet… not hardly… but the feeling he was getting from the place was one of great age and solidity. And the demons here seemed happy enough. Then he saw something ahead of them, and blanched. "Can I take that back?" Axel turned to look and blinked.

"What's going on here?" He inquired, stepping neatly over a pool of blood and frowning at the corpse on the floor. It had been a Blade demon, but the head was missing now. A leccubi was standing nearby, looking faintly nauseated, and his eyes widened as he realized the High Lord was asking.

"I don't know, High Lord. My wife and I found him. She's alerting the Blades and Rages now." The Blades would want to know of the death of their own, and the Rages were in charge of investigating things like this. Which mostly meant ignoring it, if it turned out to be something stupid like a crime of passion. But demons being demons and the fact that they often got the misfits of all the worlds, it could always be something more troubling. The High Lord contemplated the blood for a moment, then sighed.

"The murder season has started early, I see. Well, it was too much to hope we'd get by without the usual rash of casualties. Carry on." Axel stepped carefully past the body, continuing on his way. Every year, when the court prepared to migrate to the summer palace, some people were left behind. Those clearly out of favor or those who were simply not important enough to make the cut. That was considered the kiss of death for any ambition, and there was always some winnowing of the herd right before the move. It was rather early for that, but some people thought ahead. It was the likeliest explanation.

"But why take the head?" Axel asked himself, then shrugged. It was up to the Rages to figure it out. He glanced over at Sora, who was looking a bit ill. "A lesson for you… we're all immortal here. And while we might not reproduce… thankfully… there are always a lot of newcomers. Little things like that keep the population under control." It wasn't a fact he particularly cared for, but it was very true, especially for the non-combatants. Rages and Blades could expect a certain amount of openings in the command structure from skirmishes with the angels, but everyone else had to make their own opportunities.

He opened the door leading to the baths, and hot, damp air momentarily bathed them. Sora glanced around as they stepped inside. This was clearly a changing area, with plenty of lockers for clothes and personal items. Axel stripped easily, vanishing his clothing back to his rooms. But most demons couldn't do that, and he showed Sora how to use the lockers. They had a pad to touch your hand to, creating a lock.

"These aren't very secure. Don't put anything in them you really wouldn't care to go without." Axel instructed, then smiled. "Most people won't be petty enough to steal your clothes."

"And if they do, I'd just have to walk back to your room naked?" Sora said, clearly not enchanted with the thought. Axel shrugged.

"You wouldn't stand out much, given what the succubi are wearing this year." Sora blushed lightly and shook his head, disrobing. Axel leaned against another locker, watching him with interest. Sora glanced up, meeting his eyes, and Axel felt a strange tingle in his spine. Breaking eye contact, he led Sora into the main bath area, pushing aside the curtain of beads that was all that separated the changing area from it.

The baths were rather newer than most of the hall, and had been expanded on several times. But they had kept using the original stone, which was an odd, standstone like substance. It absorbed the heat but kept relatively dry, and was pleasantly rough on the skin. Sora stopped with a squeak, and Axel grinned. He hadn't bothered to warn the brunette that the baths were most definitely co-ed.

"Right over here." He said pleasantly as Sora tried to glue his eyes to the floor, blushing furiously. The baths were divided into various hot pools, each large enough to hold perhaps twenty demons. The one he took Sora to held some of the more prominent Rages, and fortunately wasn't even close to full. "May we join you?" No one was surprised by the request. Axel usually bathed with the first lords and ladies, but he made it a policy to never be completely predictable.

"Of course, High Lord." Replied one of the demons. He was warmly tanned, with startling gold hair and a van dyke beard. Dark green, scaled wings were tucked behind him. Dark blue eyes fixed on Sora curiously. "Who is this, if you don't mind me asking?"

"This is Sora. Blynda says he'll be a Rage, and he's a keyblade wielder." That immediately satisfied his curiosity, and he nodded, extending a hand.

"I'm Semmins, Captain of the Guard in this zoo." He said with a friendly smile, and Sora shook his hand cautiously. "Let me introduce you to everyone… this is Mordred." A red skinned, heavyset demon nodded. Thick black hair spilled over his shoulders and his eyes were a gold that Sora found slightly unsettling. It reminded him of a Heartless. "This is Siglio." A very pretty girl waved at him with a smile. She was as pale as Axel was dark, her skin almost translucent and her hair pure white. Tiny little silver stub horns adorned her forehead, and a long silver tail was curled firmly around the waist of the man beside her. He was a rather nondescript, grey haired man, but his eyes glowed red and he had odd little bulbs on his back. "That's Marcus, and the disciplinary nightmare lying over there is Chemistra. She's a dark siren, don't let her sing to you." The woman lying on his stomach at the edge of the pool was idly dipping her hand in the water, and looked up at them lazily. She looked almost entirely human, but her eyes were pupiled like a cats. Sora's breath caught in his throat for a moment, as he looked at her… he thought she was possibly the loveliest woman he had ever seen. Her face was a vision of perfection and her body was richly curved.

"Fuck you Semmins, I still don't want your candy." She replied succinctly, then smiled at Sora. Her teeth were more like a shark than a human. "Here, catch." She tossed Sora a bottle of shampoo, then a bar of soap. "Hope you know how to wash, 'cause if not we'll take a loofa to you."

"You know Chem, I'm hurt." Mordred said, his voice a very pleasant baritone. "You never offer to do that to me." She sneered at him, and he added hopefully. "Would you wash my back if I gave you candy?"

"No. And if you keep mentioning candy to me, I swear I'm going to spork you." She lifted a hand and a spork suddenly appeared, summoned from the kitchen. Mordred cowered theatrically, and everyone laughed.

Axel smiled, leaning back and letting the banter roll over him. Then he spotted someone waving at him, and frowned.

"Damn." He muttered, and stood, drawing everyone's attention. "It looks like Raveana wants me. I should go see what the problem is. Semmins, can you help get Sora up to speed today, and have someone escort him back to my quarters when you're done?" He was sure Sora couldn't find his way yet, and the place had never been mapped.

"Of course, High Lord." Semmins replied, and Axel nodded, striding away to catch up with one of his first ladies. Chemistra sighed, calling in a long, elegant pipe and lighting it with a snap of her fingers.

"I wonder what she wants him for?" She said dreamily, taking a long puff of the herb mixture. "More angel trouble, do you think?"

"Does a bear shit in the woods?" Semmins replied dryly, then shrugged. "But it doesn't involve us until it involves us. So, Sora. If you're a keyblade wielder, I assume you can fight. You use magic too?" Sora nodded cautiously, and the Captain smiled. "Excellent. We can use some recruits who already know their asses from a hole in the ground."

"Sure as hell the latest crop can't," Chemistra growled, before taking another long draw of her pipe. "One of them already offered me candy, and I don't even know the bastard yet!"

"I hope you didn't kill him." Marcus spoke up. His voice was odd, dry, rasping and very soft. She shook her head.

"Nah, I just made his eardrums explode." Everyone winced as she smiled nastily. "And he'll be impotent for a week. But then he'll be good as new." Vanishing her pipe, she suddenly crawled into the pool, sliding neatly beneath the water before surfacing. Long, dark brown hair clung appealingly to light brown skin, and Sora had to fight not to stare. She was exotically beautiful and knew it.

"Maybe it has something to do with the dead body we passed," Sora volunteered, and the others looked a little interested.

"A dead body? What's this?" Mordred asked, and listened thoughtfully as Sora described the scene. "Hmm. What did the High Lord think?" He was sure Axel would have said something. Sora frowned.

"Axel said something about the murder season starting early." That bothered him a bit, although he hadn't asked Axel what he meant. Everyone looked a touch puzzled, and Marcus finally voiced the cause.

"Who said that?" Sora looked puzzled in turn, tilting his head to one side.

"Axel." There was no comprehension. "The High Lord?"

"His name is Axel?" Semmins said dubiously. "I'd heard you called him that, but… I'm certain he said his real name is Lea."

"Oh!" Sora said, catching on. "His Nobodies name was Axel. Lea was probably his name when he was whole."

"Ah, that makes sense." Semmins pulled himself up, glancing Sora over for a moment before nodding. "Well, you look like you're clean. Ready to get started?"

"Please." Sora was surprised to find that he really meant it. It felt like it had been forever since he really used his keyblade, and he was looking forward to it.


	4. Mine

Sora wiped a drop of sweat off his nose, blinking as he tried to stay awake.

It had been almost a month since he had arrived, and it was hot. Even in Axel's rooms, he felt like he was in a steam bath, and Axel was keeping all of his windows open so air could circulate through the suite. Out here, in the courtyard, the heat was almost unimaginable.

But he had to tend to his duty to watch over the carts being loaded. He had become comfortable with the Rages, although there had been a little friction from the other recruits who had resented his skipping over the servant stage. A few practice bouts with the real veterans like Siglo had fixed that, although he'd almost gotten his hair burnt off. Siglo had turned out to be a 'breather'… she could inhale spells cast at her and breath them back. A firaga thrown back into his face had not been a fun experience.

"Gods. We're never going to get out of here in a week." Chem picked at her tunic, pulling it away from her body in an effort to get some air moving through. If the heat had been a little less that would have been an interesting sight, but right now Sora couldn't muster up a spec of enthusiasm. The dark siren casually sang as someone got a bit too close to the cart with larcenous intent, and the man flinched, covering his ears and scampering away to find something a bit less defended.

Sora had gotten to explore things a little thoroughly since he arrived, and had found out that the hall was surrounded by gardens… which in turn were surrounded by a city. The city ranged from tidy, cozy little buildings where the artisans lived to ramshackle slums. The slums were quite close to the hall on one side, and interactions were not exactly uncommon. Alas, the way out of the city to the summer palace lay directly through the slums and the carts they were loading for it were parked in that direction as well. Thus, a heavy guard to prevent practically everything from going missing before they made it out of the city.

They had already been packing up for a week and it was nowhere near done, thanks largely to the chefs. They were determined to bring everything with them, down to and including the kitchen sink. They were followed closely by the alchemists, the housekeepers and some of the succubi and leccubi who couldn't bear to be parted from any of their wardrobes. And of course the sirens had to bring all their instruments, the blades and rages needed the armory…

It was an incredible mess. The housekeepers were gradually imposing order onto it, but it was definitely taking a while and a whole series of beatings had already been handed out.

"I'm bored." He muttered, then scowled and took a swipe at a beggar who was getting too close. The cart they were guarding held mostly well-packed alchemic supplies, which were tempting enough that he needed to stay alert yet not worth enough to warrant a heavier guard. Some of the carts were practically surrounded by Blades.

"Get unbored fast. If any of this goes missing, the Hourglass will have our heads." Chem advised him. "Or offer me some candy. I'm pretty bored, too." She stretched, the damp fabric of her shirt clinging and sticking in fascinating ways.

"What's with you and candy?" Sora knew it had to be some kind of in-joke, but he hadn't heard an explanation yet. She smiled, calling in her pipe again and settling in for some serious puffing.

"Well, you see, when I first finished my stint as a servant… a loooong time ago, I'm pretty old… my supervisor offered me some ginger tips if I put out for him. I love ginger tips and he was cute, so I was like, why the hell not?" She snorted. "The fucker told everyone about it, and now whenever anyone wants to sleep with me they offer me candy. I wouldn't be so pissed about it if they actually had ginger tips, but they're just talking about their penises."

"So if I offer you ginger tips, you'll sleep with me?" He regretted asking immediately… he didn't want to be unfaithful to Axel. She eyed him sideways, then grinned.

"Honey, if you have ginger tips I'm all yours." He looked down at the ground, and she tilted her head. "What's wrong?"

"I don't want to… be unfaithful to Axel." He muttered, and Chem lifted her eyebrows.

"Then don't. That's not what's bothering you… what is it, kiddo?" She put a hand on his shoulder, and he sighed.

"I just… I don't know if he loves me. You know?" The sex was mind-blowing, Axel was surprisingly kind and considerate, and he felt so happy when he was around the High Lord… but he wasn't sure Axel loved him. He wasn't sure Axel could love anyone… he was a Heartless, after all. Were they even capable of it? Chemistra frowned slightly, then passed him her pipe. He hesitated, then took a deep puff on it. The smoke burned his lungs and he coughed, but for only a moment. It wasn't much of a drug… it wore off extremely quickly… but the gentle haze it gave was comforting. Sora wondered what his mother would say if she could see him now. She would probably freak… so would Kairi, for that matter.

Riku might not. Sora wondered if Riku had ever smoked anything…. Quite possibly he had.

"Honey, I have to be honest here. I don't know if the High Lord loves you." Chemistra said gently, then hummed a discordant warning for a moment as someone got a bit too close. "But he might. He's not a normal Heartless, you know." Sora blinked.

"He's not?" Axel had a human appearance like Xehanort, but that didn't mean much… Xehanort certainly hadn't been capable of love.

"No. No one knows exactly why, but the Hourglass says he has a few shreds of soul left in him… which means his Nobody probably had a few pieces of heart." Chemistra took back her pipe as Sora swallowed. Was that why Axel had seemed more… real than the other Nobodies? "'Course, that's pretty bad, that happening. The Hourglass says it means his heart must have been ripped right out of his body by main force. Nasty. But he might love you, as much as he can… you should talk to him about this."

"Yeah, I should…" Sora had been staying aware as they talked, despite the suffocating heat, and turned as something started happening to the other side of their cart. "…" There was a loud squall, someone shouted, and he heard the sound of ropes snapping just as the beast of burden it was hooked to bellowed.

The creatures the demons used to pull carts looked like a kind of reptile, but they were warm-blooded. Fortunately, they were herbivores and mostly gentle… but only mostly. Sora's eyes widened as he saw crockery go rolling and the beast lunge forward.

"Oh darkness!" He leapt up onto the wagon, dragging Chem by the arm, who let out a surprised screech but grabbed onto a rope and helped pull herself up… just in time for the beast to hit the side of their cart with a jarring impact, slamming it into the cart on the other side. If they had still been standing there, they would have been crushed. Chemistra stared wide eyed at the carts, then looked over theirs at the mess beside them. Someone was still squalling, until Mirtana's whip cracked, and the squalls turned into a shriek of pain and rage.

"I could have died." Chem looked down at her pipe. She had broken it in the scramble up. She vanished it, taking a deep breath then letting it out slowly. "Three hundred years… and crushed between two carts. What a fucking stupid way to die. Sora?"

"Yeah?" He was feeling a bit shaken too. If he'd been paying just a bit less attention, he could have died as well.

"Forget about the ginger tips." She smiled wickedly, tossing back her hair. "And if you're worried about infidelity, ask the High Lord if he's interested. He's done threesomes before."

"I'll think about it," Sora replied neutrally as he scanned the area around the cart. Some of the thieves were taking advantage of the confusion, so they still had a duty to attend to. But he had questions he needed to ask Axel…

* * *

"Lea?" Sora said quietly, and the High Lord paused, looking up from the book he had been reading. Sora couldn't help but smile… the half-moon reading glasses the demon favored always struck him as incredibly cute.

"Someone told you my old name," Axel said slowly, not entirely pleased, and shook his head. "Please don't call me that. I would prefer Axel. Lea is as dead as last year's leaves." There was a bleakness in Axel's voice that told Sora now wasn't the time to ask about that… and maybe there never would be a good time. But it wasn't what he was interested in at the moment anyway.

"Okay… Axel, how do you feel about me?" Axel's eyebrows lifted at that quiet, almost sad question, and he vanished his book.

"Feel about you?" Axel didn't pretend to misunderstand the question, and stared at Sora, his green eyes thoughtful. "You mean, do I love you." Sora nodded mutely, looking down and already feeling hurt inside. Axel's tone gave no hint of what he was thinking or feeling. "I think I do, as much as any Heartless can. Although it might not be the same as what you feel."

"What do you feel?" Sora asked, struggling to keep his tone neutral, but it was hard. Some part of him had wanted to hear that Axel loved him, no matter how unrealistic that was. Axel smiled slowly, and that film of darkness crossed his vision again. When it cleared, a moment later, Axel was sitting beside him on the couch, hands on Sora's shoulders.

"If someone hurt you, I would kill them, slowly and painfully. If I had to give up my life to save you, I would do it gladly. If anyone tried to take you from me… this world could not contain my rage." He whispered, his voice like tattered black velvet, rasping yet smooth. "The best word to describe my feelings is…" He paused, leaning in to speak in Sora's ear. "_Mine._" That sent a shiver up Sora's spine and a flash of heat to his groin, but…

"Am I only a possession, then?" Sora asked, surprising himself with the bitterness in his tone. Axel's eyes flashed, and he suddenly pinned the brunette to the couch under him, making Sora gasp.

"You have no idea how much self-control it takes not to just pin you to the bed and fuck you like an animal." Axel growled in his ear, and Sora's eyes widened at the unexpected crudity. "If you were just a possession, I would." Sora moaned as Axel ground his hips against him, feeling the High Lord's arousal against his belly.

"What if I want you too?" He breathed in Axel's ear, and Axel paused, breathing heavily.

"Don't tease me that way," he said, his voice rough and dark with lust. "Or I will."

"I'm not teasing." Sora pulled Axel's head down into a kiss, and it was rough, bruising. Clothing tore as Axel shredded it with strong fingers, and yanked away his robe. He ran his hands roughly over the pale skin beneath him, raising red welts, and Sora moaned in pleasure and pain.

When Axel entered him, there was none of the usual preparation and no gentleness. It was painful, so painful he thought he might be bleeding… but beneath the pain was the promise of pleasure, and Sora moaned into Axel's mouth as the redhead thrust into him again and again. Suddenly, Axel hit that special place inside him, and Sora's nail's bit into his shoulders as real pleasure coursed through him. He bit Axel's shoulder, wordlessly asking him to go harder, faster, deeper, and the demon obliged, slamming him into the couch again and again. Sweat slicked both their bodies as they bonded, and the heat and friction were finally too much. Axel released with a growl, and Sora followed a moment later with a cry, slumping back onto the couch, exhausted.

The last thing he heard before he passed out was that dark, velvety voice whispering in his ear.

"_Mine."_


	5. Beatings and Wings

Sora glanced around the campsite with a frown. "Where's Chem?" He and the dark siren seemed to be partnered together constantly now. They were off duty at the moment, but still, she always seemed to be around. Siglio glanced up from where she was mending a piece of leather armor.

"Getting her ass chewed out by our fearless leader," She said briefly, and Sora winced.

"Oh no… where?" Siglio pointed to the west end of the camp, and Sora hurried to see what was happening.

He knew exactly what the problem was. He and Chemistra had been standing guard late at night… not because anyone expected anything to happen, but just because sentries were always a good idea. Chem had spotted something she called a yellow darter and had gone after it, saying they were worth quite a bit and she would split it with him if he held the watch. Sora had seen no reason not to, since everything was quiet.

Unfortunately, a succubus had come by just as Chem returned with the freshly killed darter in her hands. Clearly, she had immediately gone to tattle to their superiors.

"I don't like beating you, Chem," He heard as he reached the command tents. The camp was huge, given the size of the hall, but was split up by castes, cliques and duties. So the Rages were all in the same area. Sora winced at the scene. Chemistra was kneeling in front of Semmins, breathing harshly. She was naked from the waist up, and there were red welts on her back. Mordred was coiling up a whip behind her, his face expressionless. "But you've been warned enough."

"Sir," Sora jumped in, trying to deflect attention from Chem. "This is partly my fault too. I shouldn't have-"

"No, you shouldn't have." Semmins suddenly turned to face him, and Sora swallowed at the dead, cold weight of his stare. Semmins had seemed nice enough the few times he'd met him, but clearly there was a lot more to him than that. Semmins regarded him silently for a moment before speaking again. "But you haven't been with us for two hundred years. You can be forgiven for doing what a senior asks you to do. However… you have half the darter wings?" Sora blinked, then nodded. "Give them here." Hastily, he pulled them out of his pocket and handed them over. They were the desirable part of the little lizard, and the wings flashed like molten gold in the bright sunshine. Semmins closed his hand over them for a moment, and then dropped them to the ground… grey, broken and decaying. "You will never allow your partner to desert her post again. You understand?"

"Yes sir." Sora said instantly as Chemistra stared at the ground with burning eyes. Semmins turned back to Chemistra, regarding her for a moment, then sighed.

"I like you, Chem, we all do. But stop slacking off or one of these days I'll have to execute you. Dismissed." Chemistra rose unsteadily to her feet, grabbing her shirt and yanking it back on in a quick move before she stalked off. Sora hesitated, then ran up behind her.

"Are you okay?" He asked as she called in her pipe and tapped it out.

"I'm fine." Her voice was muffled with fury, and she paused to take a deep breath before she hissed. "But I could kill that bitch. What business was it of hers?" Sora reached out to gently touch her shoulder, well above the whip marks, and she sniffed for a moment before calling up a bag of something white and tamping it into her pipe. "I need something stronger," She explained, lighting her pipe and taking a deep drag. "Want to try it?" Sora regarded the pipe dubiously. He could tell the fumes were different just from the second-hand smoke he was getting.

"…Sure." Sora finally said. Demons couldn't become addicted to most substances, so it was safe enough and he was off duty. She passed the pipe over and he took a careful puff.

Even that small inhalation was almost too much. The potent smoke seemed to go directly to his head, and the world wobbled as he fought the urge to giggle. It felt so good, like he hadn't a care in the world. Except trying to stay standing up, that was hard…

"Shit, forgot you're not used to it." Chem's voice seemed far away, but her arm around his waist was steadying. "C'mon, I'll take you to my tent."

"I should go to Axel's…" Sora tried to pull away and almost toppled over. Chemistra's laugh was soft and throaty.

"Honey, if I let you try you'd either fall over or get mugged, or both. The High Lord wouldn't be at all pleased… he'll come looking for you, push comes to shove." Lurching off together, they made the quick walk to Chem's tent. Sora settled down clumsily onto the cushions, and couldn't help but giggle as he Chem sat down across from him. Her movements seemed to leave glowing lines in the air. She started to lean back, then sat forward with a hiss as her abraded skin touched a tent pole.

"Hey Chem?" Sora said dreamily. She puffed slowly on her pipe, the potent smoke filling the tent.

"Yeah?"

"Why did you come here?" Sora was curious. He'd heard a few stories of how people came… Semmins was sort of like himself. He'd been only twelve when his father was murdered and enemies from a nearby land had tried to assault them. But he'd rallied his people and put up a fierce resistance for almost a year, until relief arrived… and promptly found himself under his uncle's thumb. Mordred was a homosexual from a world that didn't accept that. But he had no idea what Chemistra's background was.

"Oh, that. Mmm…" Chem sighed, and reached over to ruffle his hair. "If it was anyone but you… but I like you, you're nice. Okay. I was a farmer's daughter. We raised cows and I was a pretty good milkmaid. Papa tried to marry me off to the local miller… who was at least three times my age and had already put two wives in the ground. Not to mention smelling like a goat. So I was like, fuck this, and took off." Chem puffed her pipe for a moment, then sighed. "I was so fucking naïve. I really thought that I could go to the city and get a job as a ladies maid with some noble in the court. As if. I got picked up pretty fast by a pimp who took me to a brothel… the shitty kind, where they let the john's beat the girls. I lost my virginity chained to a bed." Sora blinked, trying to think of something to say. The smoke was scrambling his mind.

"That's… awful." It sounded lame even to him, but Chem just laughed.

"It was a long time ago. Anyway, I pretended to give in and got out as soon as I could, stealing everything I could get my paws on. After that I left the city and whored my way across the countryside. I got a knife, and killed anyone who beat me or wouldn't pay me." She puffed thoughtfully, then shrugged. "And one day I just kinda… woke up, and thought, this is my life. A shitty whore traveling through shitty towns, and someday I'd be old and then what? But what else could I do? Not much call for traveling milkmaids. I cried myself to sleep, and woke up here. The first year sucked, but after that things got so much better. I couldn't believe it when someone gave me a sword. Girls never got weapons in my world." She paused to ruffle Sora's hair again. "So that's my story. Don't feel bad for me. It might have sucked, but I'm a hell of a lot happier now than I would have been married to goat man." She put out her pipe and vanished it. "That's about enough of that… I'm high as a kite." Chem let out a low, sultry laugh, tossing back her hair. Sora stared into her face, the high cheekbones, the full, kissable lips, and thought again that she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

Then the tent flap opened, and Sora tried to focus as a dark form loomed over them.

"What's going on here, Chem?" Axel's voice was low and had a faint edge of growl to it. He sniffed the air and frowned. "You gave him dream smoke?"

"Yeah, sorry… I forgot he wouldn't have much of a resistance to it." Chem said, leaning back and wincing again. Axel scowled, and Sora tried to sit up, a little alarmed at the anger he could feel coming from Axel.

"Don't be mad at her! She was hurting." Axel glanced at him, meeting his eyes.

"Why was she hurting?" He asked softly, and Sora looked down.

"We got punished…" He whispered, and Chem shook her hair down over her face.

"For what?" There was no reply, as the two Rages both looked at the floor. Axel sighed. "Nevermind, I can find out myself." He gently picked up Sora, who felt almost boneless and snuggled against Axel's chest, enjoying the feeling of his strong arms. Axel carried the almost unconscious keyblader out of the tent, back to his own.

"Chem's nice," Sora said sleepily. "She's beautiful too." Axel's hands tightened on him.

"Careful, Sora, you'll make me jealous." Axel's tone wasn't entirely joking, and even in the drug induced haze, Sora remembered the intensity he's used when he said _Mine._ But the smoke was still clouding his judgment.

"She said we should have a threesome," he mentioned, and Axel's hands tightened even more for just a moment, then relaxed as he laughed.

"Maybe someday, but not tonight." Axel's lips brushed Sora's forehead, and he sighed. "Dream smoke kills desire. But maybe someday." He wasn't about to share Sora with anyone… but sharing Chemistra with Sora might be different.

It was all in how you looked at things.

* * *

"So are we officially partners now or what?" Sora asked Chemistra, who belched for a moment before responding.

"Looks that way. Fuck, I'm going to be sick." She hung over the rail of the ship, burping again, and Sora shook his head with a smile. He couldn't understand motion sickness on a lake that was practically a mirror, it was so smooth.

The summer palace, as it turned out, was in the middle of a lake. The humidity was still sky high, but the temperature had gone down drastically and everyone was feeling quite a bit better. Sora could understand the murder season comment now… there had been almost a dozen deaths before they had gotten underway. Although some had just been related to sheer frustration caused by the heat.

Right now, they were transporting everything on barges to the palace. Sora frowned as he thought of something.

"Why is the other place called the hall, and this is called a palace?" He wondered. They were about the same size, although this keep was made only of grey stone and looked newer than the truly ancient hall.

"I dunno… urrrp…" Chem finally succeeded in vomiting, and Sora winced at the sound.

"You, um, okay there?"

"Uglrg."

"Well, I'll just get you a charcoal biscuit or something…" Sora beat a hasty retreat from the unpleasant scene, and almost ran into Axel, who was walking over. "Oh, hey Axel. How's it going?"

"Not badly, since I was intelligent enough to pack my own motion sickness remedies." He commented, watching Chemistra with amusement.

"Fuck you!" She snarled over the rail, then lifted her head enough to see who she was speaking to. "…High Lord." She added lamely, wincing, but Axel only grinned and tossed her a potion vial.

"Try this. Blynda made it for me, I hate the water." Axel was technically an Elemental demon, and his element was fire, so being on the water was profoundly unnatural. Especially cool water. Chem swallowed it, grimacing at the taste.

"Thank you, High Lord. And sorry about the, um, being a bitch thing." Axel waved it away.

"It's nothing." Axel leaned on the rail, looking over at the palace. "So how are the wings coming, Sora?" Sora winced, trying to scratch his back.

"A lot better before you mentioned it." He had just started growing wings a few days ago. Unlike most, they were showing signs of being feathered like an angels, but they were black. They were absurdly tiny right now… barely the size of robins wings, but he was told they would start to grow rapidly. But for now, they itched terribly, especially when something drew his attention to them. Axel grinned… he'd had exactly the same experience, a long time ago.

"Let me help you with that." Before Sora could react, Axel slid his hands under his shirt and began gently scratching and massaging the sensitive skin. Sora sighed, leaning back into the wonderful feeling as Axel nipped his neck.

"The two of you need a room." Chemistra said, calling in her pipe and taking a long drag. Sora blushed as Axel raised his head, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

"And you need a beating, but we try not to mention that." Chem shrugged, smiling.

"Want any help, High Lord? I have some lotion, it's amazing stuff." Chemistra offered with a playful leer, and Sora blushed even more as Axel growled.

"Impudence. Go, find something to do before I find it for you." Chem headed off in a sprightly manner, not wanting to push her luck too far, and Axel laughed softly. "If she weren't so charming, in her own way, someone would have killed her years ago." Sora nodded, smiling. "So… I spoke to Blynda, and she's been working on your problem with the Hourglass. They think they've found an answer."

"Really?" Sora had almost thought that Axel had forgotten about that. It had been over a week since he mentioned it. He tilted his head slightly, looking up at Axel. "They can send a letter home for me?"

He had been trying not to think about it, but the guilt had been knawing at him. He wasn't like Semmins or Chemistra in one important respect… he had family and friends who were probably worried sick about him at this moment. The odds of them finding him were astronomically low… Axel had told him that the Dark Land and the Light Land were both so far to the side of anything that the Gummi ships probably couldn't reach them. Even the corridors of darkness and the pathways of light were unreliable. No one quite understood how people ended up here, but it seemed like the land itself responded to desires and pains. But even if the odds were low, Riku and Kairi couldn't know that. They might be searching for him even now, and he wanted desperately to tell them that he was fine and happy.

"They think so. There's no guarantee it will arrive, of course, but if you have something they could use to focus… something that belonged to your friends… well, that would help quite a bit." Sora blinked, and touched the good luck charm Kairi had given him. He still had it, and his own necklace.

"I have this, it should be perfect." Sora pulled off the good luck charm. It seemed particularly fitting, using it to get a message home. "I should go write the letter."

"Yes, I've already got you the parchment. They want you to send it in a bottle, oddly enough." Sora blinked, feeling a slight chill. Kairi's message had come to him and Riku in a bottle.

It was an odd coincidence.


	6. Simple Gifts

_Kairi,_

_I'm sorry about how long it's taken for me to write… you all must be worried sick. It's been hard to find a way to send this to you, and I hope you get it._

_I hardly know where to begin with this, but… well. I was trying to hide it, but I wasn't happy in the Destiny Islands anymore. How weird is that? Riku got his taste of adventure and was finally happy to be home, and I got the same taste and wanted more. It felt so stifling, going to school every day after I'd been the keyblade wielder and traveled between worlds, you know?_

_No, I didn't steal the gummi ship or anything silly. I just went to bed and when I woke up the next day, I was somewhere else. It's called the Dark Land, and people just seem to end up here when they're really unhappy and their hearts call out to it. It's a really strange place. Axel says it's the very first world that was ever created, so it went really wrong. It doesn't have a Kingdom Heart._

_Oh, Axel is here, but not the one we knew. He's Axel's Heartless, and he's running the Dark Land. But he's really nice. Well, as nice as he can be when he's dealing with demons all the time. I'm turning into a demon too, but I don't feel any different except maybe a bit stronger. Chemistra says we're just people, fucking up in a fucked up world. She swears a lot but she's a ton of fun, although she keeps getting me into trouble. Fortunately it's mostly just fights and stuff, which is okay, but she did get whipped once._

_This place is super pretty, I wish you could see it Kairi. It's so hot, but the land is so lush. The hall is surrounded by a city, and around it is a jungle you'd have to see to believe. It seems like everything grows fruits and its all edible. Chem says the more anti-social demons just live in the jungle, enjoying the fruits. I'm not sure if I believe her though, after the trick she pulled on me with the… well, nevermind. Anyway, after the jungle as you go further north, there are huge fields. The crops are bigger than I've ever seen before, it's just amazing. Axel says that the Dark Land has always been the breadbox, while the Light Land has a lot of minerals and gems. They trade sometimes but Axel doesn't like to talk about it, he says it gives him a headache and he wishes all the angels would just drop dead. That sounds good to me, Marcus and Siglio both got torn up in a patrol and they're good people._

_I'm really happy here Kairi. I know that probably seems weird with the demons and all, but it's more like Halloween Town than anything. Bad things can happen and a lot of the time they do, but it's like I'm doing something important again. And Axel is here. I think I really missed him._

_I miss the two of you too, but you shouldn't search for me. Axel and Blynda say this place is on the far side of forever and it's really dangerous to try to come here if you don't belong. I wish there was a way for the Hourglass to get a letter back from you, but they say they can't do it. They're only getting this to you by using your charm as a focus. I'll send you another letter when I can. I hope you're both okay, and don't worry about me, I'm fine!_

_-Sora_

_P.S – Can you edit this a lot before you tell Mom? She'll freak if you mention demons._

* * *

First Lady Blynda gently ran the charm through her fingers, before dipping it in the pool of black water as Sora and Axel watched.

They were in the cave of the Hourglass, deep within the palace. Great spider webs filled the corners of the cave, glittering silver under the glow of the light sculptures. This was the first time Sora had really seen the demons of the Hourglass at work, and he watched them curiously.

They were a decidedly mixed bag. The Hourglass wasn't a type of demon, like siren or succubus… it was more of a skill, although certain inborn powers could help. Some of the demons standing at the edge of the water looked like succubi and leccubi to him, while a few others were singing softly with siren voices. There was at least one he thought was probably a Blade. The others, though, could have been anything or nothing. Most likely they were elementals like Axel. Although that was just a catch-all category for any demon that had command of an element, regardless of whatever else they could do.

Demon types were incredibly confusing, really, Sora reflected. Chem was a good example of that. She had the Rage instincts and increased strength, coupled with the voice and skills of a siren. So was she a Rage or a siren? The only real answer was both, which was why she was called a dark siren. But being a Rage was more than instincts; it was actually working with and being part of the Rage team, so by that standard she was far more a Rage than a siren.

The ritual seemed to be taking forever, and Sora had to suppress the urge to fidget. Axel just stood completely still, watching silently as Blynda pulled out the bottle with Sora's message in it.

"What goes around, comes around. A message in a bottle to the girl that sent a message in a bottle…" Blynda said dreamily, and Sora swallowed. It hadn't been a coincidence at all, but how had Blynda known? But that was her special ability… she was a natural seer who could sometimes look into the past, present and future. "Light and Darkness, give this message wings of fate to reach the girl who wore this token of love. Send this message home." And she cast the bottle into the pool, where it vanished. The Hourglass seemed to relax, the demons stepping back from the edge of the pool. But Blynda stood still, staring into the water for a long moment before she slowly turned to look at them. Her gaze rested on Axel, and he returned it, but something in the look on her face made Sora tense. Without thought, he stepped between her and Axel, meeting her eyes. She focused on him, and a rueful smile twisted her lips before she tossed the charm back to him.

"Do not give in to despair, Sora, and you may someday have everything you desire." She told him, and turned away, putting a hand on her forehead. Sora had the peculiar feeling that she was crying. Axel touched his shoulder and they started out… the Hourglass valued their privacy… but Sora glanced back in time to see a few tears slide off Blynda's face, into the still water of the pool.

"Axel… why is she crying?" He said, subdued, and Axel just shook his head.

"She saw something. But she won't tell us what until she wants to." That was something he had come to accept. The Hourglass did things their own way, and there was no point in fighting it.

Axel only hoped that what Blynda had seen wasn't too terrible, but he didn't have high hopes. Things could always get worse.

* * *

"Axel." Sora moaned in pleasure, his hands tangled in red hair as Axel teased him with his tongue, his lips, his mouth… "Axel!" Axel grinned to himself, a hand on Sora' belly to stop the boy from thrusting upwards into the maddening warmth. He loved making Sora call his name.

A pain started at the base of Axel's skull, and he flinched, remembering just in time to watch his fangs.

_Not now, anytime but now._ He thought at the pain, still trying to pleasure Sora, but the pain was increasing. Now was indeed the time. _Damn!_ But he was damned if he was going to leave Sora like this. He devoted all of his considerable skills to getting Sora to come, stroking the inside of Sora's thighs as the boy moaned and tossed his head back. The pain kept getting worse… _Give me a fucking second!_ He snarled at it, driven to profanity. But the pain had an edge of desperation that could not be ignored.

"Axel… I'm going to…" Sora gasped out, then released with a cry, and Axel swallowed his seed before pulling away and standing, yanking on his robe. Sora looked up at him, eyes wide and confused. "Axel, you didn't…?" Axel smiled, then flinched as a spike of pain seemed to travel around his skull.

"I have to go. I'm being summoned." He said, his voice rough with pain, and Sora blinked, sitting up.

"Summoned? By who?" As far as he knew, no one had the authority to summon the High Lord. If the Council had tried at a time like this, Axel would have incinerated them, not gone to heed them. "Axel, what's going on?" Axel flinched, gripping his head as a bolt of pain went through his skull.

"There's no time to explain. Ask Blynda, she'll tell you what she can." There was that veil of darkness, and Axel was gone. Sora stared at the place Axel had stood, then got up and grabbed his own clothes.

He was going to ask Blynda what was going on right now, and if she was asleep that was just too bad. He found her in the cavern of the Hourglass, staring into the water dreamily.

"Hello Sora," she said, not turning around as he entered the cave. "You've come about Axel?"

"Yes, what's going on?" He stopped right beside her, and glanced into the pool, but he could see nothing but dark water. "He just took off." He was trying not to feel offended, but it was hard. Axel had never done anything like that before. Blynda smiled sadly, and gestured to the water.

"He has gone to remind the Creator of Worlds of why it needs to remain." Sora blinked, and Blynda regarded him thoughtfully for a moment. "You deserve to know this, as his lover, but you must promise not to share it with anyone else besides the Hourglass and Axel. It would only worry the others, and there is nothing they can do."

"I promise." Sora said immediately, and Blynda nodded slowly.

"Very well. The Creator of Worlds is dying. It has been dying for thousands of years… and when it dies, we shall all cease to exist." Sora swallowed hard as she smiled, a fey, dreamy smile. "Only the compassion it has for us, and this sad, broken land, holds it to life. It's time has come and gone, but still it remains for us… Axel has gone to remind it why it remains. He will feed it his strength, his vitality, his hopes and dreams. That is the price of being High Lord, and it has killed many."

"No!" Sora suddenly gripped her arm. "Please, send me to him, let me help!" The thought of losing Axel so soon after finding him was just too much. But Blynda only shook her head, and her green eyes glowed in the dark cavern as she stared at him.

"Not yet," she whispered, eyes seeing far more than anyone else could. "You'll see the Creator someday, but not yet." Then she blinked, seeming to come back to reality. "If you went there now… you are not as strong as Axel. It might drain you away, and that would kill him. He is strong, he will survive, but he will be there several days. Sora, you must be ready for when he returns."

"What should I do?" Sora was desperate to do something to help Axel. Blynda smiled slightly.

"Be ready with everything you need to take care of him. You'll need… a sponge and cold water. He'll need a bath but could never make it down to them… you'll need soup and toast, and a bucket." Sora frowned, confused. "He won't be able to keep the soup down at first, so he'll need the bucket, but you must make him eat. He usually doesn't eat for days afterwards, and that makes his recovery take longer than it should." She sighed, running a hand through her hair. "I have tried doing this, but he burnt me. He won't burn you."

"I'll do it," he promised. Sora would do anything to help Axel. Even if it meant bullying him a bit.

* * *

It was three long, nerve wracking days before Axel finally reappeared. He appeared in his rooms in a burst of darkness, and staggered onto the couch. Sora was at his side instantly, and was appalled by what he saw.

Axel had never had much fat to him, but what little he had had been burnt away. He had gone from slender to whipcord over bone, and the bones of his face were prominent under his skin. He eyes were like cracked mirrors, the bright green dimmed and dull.

"Sora," he said, and his voice was hoarse and cracked as if he had worn it away. Sora gently petted his hair, feeling almost overwhelmed. Where should he begin?

"You need to eat," he whispered, and Axel shuddered.

"I can't." He rasped out, and Sora shook his head. "Can't keep it down."

"I know, there's a bucket. But Blynda said you have to eat." Sora didn't like forcing this on Axel, but Blynda had been very clear. If Axel didn't eat and manage to keep it down, his recovery was going to be much longer and worse than it had to be. "You have to keep trying until you keep it down." He picked up the thermos of soup he had been keeping and handed it to Axel. It was beef broth, kept warm by tiny spells in the thermos. Axel caught to smell of it and gagged.

"Can't," he said again, and Sora touched his shoulder.

"Please, you need to try." Axel looked up at him, wordlessly pleading, but Sora just stared back. It was hard, but he was certain now that it was right. Axel finally lifted up the thermos and took a cautious swallow.

And immediately retched, grabbing for the bucket. Sora grabbed the thermos before it fell as Axel lost the soup.

"I _can't._" He said, tears of frustration and pain filling his eyes.

"You have to. Try again, it will get better." Sora gently stroked Axel's hair, trying to comfort him. "Please Axel, do this for me."

"When did you turn into a badger…" But Axel shakingly reached for the soup, and tried again. It took three tries before he could finally keep it down, but it seemed to do him some good almost immediately, and his hands weren't shaking nearly as much as he slowly sipped it. He even managed to nibble on the toast, although that was harder.

"You need a bath, too." Sora said as Axel finally finished the soup. Axel desperately needed a bath… he reeked of sweat and smoke, and his hair was streaked with ash. Axel reached up with shaking hands, trying to undo his robe, but couldn't quite manage it. Sora pushed his hands away and easily undid the zipper. "Let me…" Fortunately, disrobing Axel was quite easy. The hard part was the sponge bath, since Sora had never given one before, but he could at least get the worst of it off. By the time he was done Axel smelled a lot better, although he wasn't quite clean.

Sora helped Axel stand, and Axel leaned heavily on him, an arm around his shoulders. They slowly made there way to the bedroom, and Sora tucked Axel into the silken covers, sliding into bed beside him. But he soon realized that Axel wasn't sleeping… or even trying to sleep. He was staring at the wall away from him, slowly blinking.

"Axel, you need to sleep." Sora said gently, rubbing Axel's back. Axel shook his head.

"I can't." He said, and Sora bit his lip. Blynda hadn't mentioned what to do about this, and he had no clue. How could he make Axel sleep? He was clearly exhausted… then Sora blinked as there was a knock at the door.

"Who is it?" He called as Axel tried to lift his head.

"Chemistra," came the muffled reply. "Semmins sent me, he said Blynda wants me to sing a lullaby?" The dark siren sounded mystified by the request, but Sora smiled. Blynda thought of everything.

"Don't want a lullaby…" Axel muttered, but Sora grinned, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Well, you're getting one. Come in!" He called to Chem, who quickly came into the room. She winced as she saw Axel's condition, but didn't ask. Everyone in the hall knew that Axel sometimes vanished, and came back looking like something the cat had hawked up. All the High Lords before him had done exactly the same, and everyone knew better than to ask. She glanced around the bedroom and took the chair from Axel's desk, pulling it up to the bed to sit in as she sang.

'_Tis the gift to be simple, 'tis the gift to be free,_

_'Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be,_

_And when we find ourselves in the place just right,_

_'Twill be in the valley of love and delight._

_When true simplicity is gain'd,_

_To bow and to bend we shan't be asham'd,_

_To turn, turn will be our delight,_

_Till by turning, turning we come out right._

Afterwards, Sora would wonder why Chemistra had picked that particular song. It wasn't exactly a lullaby, although the way she sang it was soft and soothing with siren power. Perhaps she had just known, or Blynda had known she would pick that song, because it seemed to hit a chord in Axel. He sniffed but closed his eyes, and Sora could feel the tension draining out of him. And they both fell asleep to the song.

_To turn, turn will be our delight,_

_Till by turning, turning we come out right._


	7. The Land of Light

_The Land of Dark and Land of Light could just as easily be called the Lands of Dreams, or the Lands of the Heart._

_Desperation and pain call out to the land, which calls back for completion, trying to fill the void where there should have been a heart. Needs of all kinds call out, but never before had love called to the land. How could someone love a land before they had seen it? And those who came rarely left anyone behind who loved them enough to reach out._

_But that did not have to be the case. And Sora's letter had handed Riku and Kairi the key to the lock._

* * *

Riku looked at the potion, hesitating.

It had taken a lot of searching to find him, but he and Kairi had managed to locate Yen Sid, and he had created this potion for them. When they swallowed it, it would amplify whatever emotion they were feeling at the moment. If they swallowed it when they were thinking of how much they loved Sora and wanted him, perhaps that would be enough to find the Land of Dark.

"Will this work?" Kairi said apprehensively. Yen Sid hadn't been able to offer much insight. He had read Sora's letter, but had admitted he had never heard of the Land of Dark and the Land of Light. The potion was the best try they had at replicating the state of mind Sora had described, but they had no idea if it would work.

"I don't know, but…" Riku hesitated a moment longer, looking at the pearly liquid. Then he swallowed it, and Kairi quickly followed suit.

_Sora._ Riku focused all his thoughts, all his feelings into remembering Sora. Remembering the way he laughed, the way he grinned, everything he felt about him. The friendship and the love, the deep connection he'd felt to his friend. Everything Sora meant to him.

For a long moment, nothing happened as he and Kairi stood there, just thinking about Sora and how much they loved him, how much they wanted him. But then a white mist seemed to seep up from the floor, floating around them.

_?_

Riku's breath caught in his throat and Kairi gasped as they realized they had attracted the attention of something… _immense._ They hadn't known what to expect, but it hadn't been this. It was like turning a corner and finding a mountain in the middle of the road.

_???_ That immense regard touched them, and Riku could feel it exploring him curiously. It was probably the worst comparison in the universe, but it felt like the biggest, hairiest dog in the worlds was nosing him and sniffing him. And it seemed disappointed. Riku felt an aching void in it, a void they couldn't begin to hope to fill…

_Sora. Please, Sora, we want Sora._ He struggled to focus on Sora's face as the immenseness seemed to reach deeply inside him. He felt flensed, completely exposed in a way he'd never been in his life. Kairi was gasping beside him, her eyes wide, and he gripped her hand tightly.

_!!!_ The white mist swirled heavily around them, and was abruptly gone, but they were still surrounded by white… and the air suddenly bit with cold, tearing at bare skin with teeth of ice.

"What…?!?" Kairi and Riku looked around, stunned. They had expected the hot jungle Sora had described, but that was not at all what they had gotten. They were standing on the side of a mountain, knee deep in puffy snow. Below them lay a valley of evergreen trees, beautiful and spreading as far as the eye could see.

"Shit," Riku said quietly as he figured out what had gone wrong. They might just be people, like Sora said, but the people who ended up in the Dark Land weren't Princess of the Heart. Kairi didn't have any darkness in her heart, and while Riku might have gotten to the Dark Land, she had been destined for Light. And while they could travel to Sora, it was cold here… far too cold for the clothing they were wearing. They weren't even wearing boots, and he hated to think how Kairi's bare legs were feeling.

"Look, up there!" Kairi pointed into the sky, and Riku followed her gesture, his eyes widening.

They looked like birds at first, but as they got closer Riku saw that was definitely not the case. Two women and a man were spiraling down towards them. They were wearing white armor and two of them were carrying spears… but the last was carrying a bundle of furs. Riku wondered if maybe that was for them, then shook his head. That would be too lucky to be true.

"You're awake?" One of the women said, sounding faintly surprised. She was pretty, with light blue eyes and dark red lips, and peach colored skin. What little he could see of her hair, peeping out from under the helmet, looked strawberry-blond. "Welcome, newcomers. This is the Land of Light and I am Archangel Galina. This is Archangel Vandren, and that is Angel Miastra." The woman carrying the furs nodded to them with a friendly smile. Alone of the three, she wasn't wearing armor and her head was uncovered. Her red hair was so closely cropped, it was mostly a fuzz against her scalp. Her eyes were a warm brown, and she offered them to furs. "Those are for you… please, put them on. You'll eventually grow used to the cold, but not just yet." Kairi and Riku scrambled into the furs, and found heavy boots were there as well. They adjusted themselves magically to their feet, and Riku sighed as he began to feel warm again.

"We're here looking for Sora, actually. Have you seen him?" Kairi knew it wasn't likely, but they might as well ask. All three angels looked startled.

"You meant to come here?" That was unheard of. The angels exchanged a glance as they nodded. "Well… we should take you to see the Seraphim." A note of reverence entered the angel's voice for a moment, and she smiled, vanishing her spear. "We'll carry you." There was no way they would be getting off the mountain without flying.

The flight out wasn't that pleasant. The winged angels seemed to dip with every beat of their wings, and the result was a crushing motion sickness. Fortunately, Kairi and Riku both managed to hold in their nausea… the thought of throwing up on an angel just didn't seem right. But they were very grateful when they landed.

Riku glanced around, eyes widening. He hadn't been able to see this place from the mountain… somehow it had been screened by the trees, or possibly by magic. But they were both standing in the centre of a city now. It was a city of wide avenues and flowing walkways, and they were standing nearby a frozen fountain. The statues in the fountain were angels at play, and the water had frozen into impossible, gravity defying shapes that were as beautiful as they were odd. All the stone they could see was light grey or white marble, and the city was achingly beautiful.

It was also largely empty. There were a few angels soaring or walking, but nothing like Riku would have expected in a city this size. It seemed a touch unreal. As he watched, an angel flew by on wings not of flesh and feathers, but pure light. He landed in front of them, and Kairi gasped as she caught a glimpse of his face. He was almost too handsome, with thick chestnut hair, sculpted features and eyes of exotic amber. The three angels that had brought them in knelt immediately. Riku and Kairi both hesitated then stayed standing. His eyes flicked over them, and he seemed indifferent to any disrespect.

"The Queen of Light wishes to meet you." He said, and his voice was a clear baritone, sweet and with an edge of warmth. "Please, follow me." The three angels looked up, gaping slightly as he gestured Riku and Kairi to come. "I am Seraphim Galaros. The three of you may attend your duties." He added as the angels rose to their feet.

"Yes, Seraphim." Galina bowed her head, and the three of them immediately took to the air. Galaros watched them go, then turned his head to look at them.

"You are Riku and Kairi?" His question was more of a statement, but Riku nodded anyway. "This way." He led them through the city, to a great palace of grey stone and stained glass windows. "This is the Seat of Light, where the court of angels and the Queen of Light dwell."

"It's beautiful." Kairi breathed, staring at the great glass windows. They were exquisite, showing scenes of angels, and more… scenes of birds flying, a tree filled with fruits and birds, a woman holding a child and smiling radiantly. Galaros turned to look at her, then smiled, a surprisingly shy and boyish smile.

"Thank you." He said, with a bit of pride in his voice. "I made the windows. I'm, well, a bit of an artist and I like working with glass. It means more to me, hearing you say that as newcomers." Most of the angels would just be trying to suck up. "Pride might be a sin, but I think mine is pardonable."

"I would say so," Riku said, staring at one particularly vibrant panel that almost looked ready to come to life. "How did you make them so large?" Riku didn't know a lot about glass, but he knew the larger sections he was looking at should have been impossible. Real glass of that size couldn't possibly have stood up to its own weight.

"Oh… that's magic. I make them into whatever I want, then infuse them with the power of light to make them as strong as steel and light as a feather." Galaros frowned slightly. "I suppose that's a kind of flaw in my work… but if I held to the constraints of gravity, it wouldn't be nearly as pretty." He would have had to make the individual panels much smaller, and gone for a tight mosaic effect, which would also have been beautiful… but not as beautiful as the wide panels with lots of blue sky.

As they walked through the Seat of Light, they saw more artwork. Paintings and sculptures, all exquisitely lovely and lifelike, although completely chaste. There were more glass panels, but Riku and Kairi stopped short, staring at one wall.

At one time, it had been a glass panel of surpassing beauty. Now… it had been shattered into a thousand pieces, but those pieces were suspended in the air, defying gravity. Behind it was nothing but white mist, and Riku felt a chill as he looked at it. It reminded him of the mist that had come up, when he and Kairi had come to this world.

"What happened to that?" He asked, and Galaros glanced over, his expression grim.

"An… accident. Unfortunately, it is not reversible. Never go in there. No one has ever come out." That was, in fact, a complete lie. But it was a white lie, since if a pair of newcomers went in, they certainly wouldn't be coming out. Galaros didn't like lies, but it was better to err on the side of safety. "This is the Hall of Light." They entered a large, long room in the centre of the Seat of Light.

It was easy to see why it was called the Hall of Light. The walls stretched up, and more beautiful stained glass was set in them, letting in the light and filling the hall with color. The scenes here were all of angels… simple angels working, Archangels fighting, and other angels Riku and Kairi couldn't recognize but looked at curiously. There were angels at work on crafts or over books, and they had little lights spinning around their heads. There were also dark angels and with wings of black, surrounded by a haze of light. They were pictured standing guard, expressions resolute. And there was a single panel behind the throne that depicted an angel like Galaros, with wings of glorious light.

The throne was empty, but as they watched light flared, coalescing into a corporeal form. It resolved itself into a blond woman, with wings similar to Galaros', but tipped with balls of pure light. A halo gleamed above her head, and they could feel the power radiating from her. She was beautiful, but it was a curiously sexless, androgynous beauty. She smiled kindly at them, and Riku and Kairi both stared, awestruck.

"Greetings." Her voice was soft, breathy, and also oddly androgynous. She could have been a girl or a young boy from her voice. "I am the Queen of Light. I sense there is something different about you, Riku and Kairi. Tell me, why have you come?"

"We're looking for our best friend, Sora." Kairi said, and Riku nodded. "He sent us a letter that he was here, and, well, we found a way to come after him."

"May I see this letter?" Kairi nodded, pulling it out and stepping forward to give it to the Queen. It never occurred to her or Riku not to. Her voice was so sweet and kind, and she radiated warmth and light. "Hm." She perused the letter with a small frown. "Oh… my. Your friend is being held by the demons."

"Held by? He said he was happy…" But the Queen shook her head.

"The demons have probably convinced him of that," she said gently. "They are masters of glamours and sexual attractions. But they are just using him for their own pleasures." Riku and Kairi exchanged a glance.

It was… plausible actually. Sora had said Axel's Heartless was in charge, and Heartless didn't have feelings for anyone. The demons could very well just be using him since he was the keyblade wielder. And why would the angels lie about it? Could angels lie at all? For some reason, Riku looked at Galaros. The angel was listening to the Queen, his eyes dark and somehow sad. When he saw Riku watching, he smiled slightly at him, but the sadness didn't leave his eyes.

"We will help you rescue him, if you wish." The Queen offered with a small smile. "We normally don't try to redeem the fallen… but this is a special case. Hopefully, your friend can be saved."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Kairi said, eyes glowing, and Riku's doubts slid away. Really, this made sense. If Sora wasn't being controlled somehow, surely he would want to go home. They would rescue him and everything would be fine.

"First, though, we'll have to make a plan… and we have some time to do it. They won't dispose of a keybearer quickly." The Queen mused, then looked over at Galaros. "Seraphim, please take them under your wing personally. Show them around, explain how the City of Light works, and see that they begin learning to control their angel abilities when they surface. I leave everything to you." Galaros bowed to her.

"Yes, my Queen." She vanished back into light, and Galaros turned to smile at them. "Since we're already in the Hall of Light, let me show you the different types of angels." He pointed to the glass behind the throne. "That is a Seraphim. We are the greatest angels below the Queen herself. Currently, there are only four Seraphim in existence." Galaros quickly went on from that… it was all truthful, but not precisely modest… and pointed to the next glass windows. "These are the Cherubim. While superficially identical to Archangels and angels, they are actually quite powerful. In battle, they assume a sphinx-like form to fight. They also wield the powers of the elements." Next, Galaros pointed out the picture with an angel bent over a book, a swirling halo of lights over her head. "That is a Virtue. They express their powers through song, and are usually our greatest musicians, artists and artisans." He pointed to the picture of the dark angel next. "This is a Power. They are powerful warriors, but there are very few of them and they're usually patrolling the borders between the Land of Light and the Land of Dark." He smiled slightly. "Last but not least, there are the Archangels and the angels. The Archangels are the foot soldiers in our battle against the darkness, and the angels are the ones who tend to the homely tasks necessary for life, such as raising crops." Catching a glimpse of their overwhelmed expressions, Galaros laughed. "Don't worry, you won't have to remember all this right away. You're not likely to meet anyone much past a Virtue in any case."

"We've met you," Riku pointed out, and Galaros smiled slightly.

"True, but I'm the only Seraphim in the city. The others are busy with other duties." Galaros sighed slightly. "I almost wish the Queen had given this task to someone else. My… exalted rank makes things difficult."

"Oh?" Riku said neutrally. "You're too important to show us around?" Galaros only smiled at that comment.

"Not at all. Pardonable pride is one thing, but arrogance is a sin. If my Queen ordered me to pick rocks, I would do so." Galaros said serenely, unoffended. "However, if I try to bring you to the other youngsters they will be too intimidated to speak to you." Riku frowned, but remembered how the angels had acted when Galaros showed up, and nodded. "Hmm… ah, I know. I'll take you to the Eye of Light. Nothing intimidates them, and they can test to see what kind of angels you will be when your transformation is complete." The Seraphim seemed pleased by that solution, and started out briskly, leaving them to follow.

They went through a large part of the Seat of Light, and it was as strangely empty as the city. They passed only a few angels, who bowed to Galaros but sometimes gave him shy smiles. He nodded gravely to them, acknowledging their greetings. Riku noted that it seemed like the angels both liked and respected the Seraphim, although as he had said, they were in awe of his rank.

"So how do you get to be a Seraphim?" Riku asked as they climbed a long staircase, going up a tower. A full angel would simply have flown up the centre, but this way they could enjoy the stained glass pictures. They were set in the walls all the way up, angling with the staircase. "Do you just get it right away, or what?" Galaros laughed and shook his head.

"Oh no. The power is granted by the Creator. But the Creator hasn't granted it to any angels in some time… before I was gifted, I was a Virtue." Riku nodded… Galaros had said that Virtue's were artists and artisans as well as musicians, so that made sense. "I will always remember when I heard the Creators voice… it was amazing. So powerful, but so fragile."

"Incomplete?" Kairi asked, and Galaros looked at her curiously.

"No, I wouldn't say that. Why do you ask?"

"Well… when we first came here, we felt something… looking at us. It felt incomplete, like it was trying to find something to fulfill it." Kairi replied, remembering that indescribable regard. "It was huge and powerful but not… right."

"Ah." Galaros paused for a moment before speaking. "That wasn't the Creator. The Creator is whole, just… not entirely there. I'm not sure what that would have been." Although he did have a very good idea of what it could be… but he didn't intend to speak about it aloud. "Ah, here we are." They had reached the top of the tower.

Riku and Kairi were beginning to get used to the stunning beauty of the place, but still… the dome of curved glass above them was amazing. It was clear, but delicately tinted to keep the glare from being overwhelming. It was like standing outside, and the angels in the Eye had made use of it by planting beautiful flowers and cherry trees. The heady scent of cherry blossoms filled the air, and for the first time they saw a small crowd of angels. They were mostly Virtues, but there were some Archangels and a few simple angels. They were chatting and doing research at a few tables, or other arcane things that Riku and Kairi couldn't really understand. One Virtue was peering intently into a crystal globe, but didn't seem to be getting much out of it. She turned to look as they came in, and smiled brightly.

"Galaros!" She bounced over and gave him a sisterly, but vigorous hug. He laughed and hugged her back for a moment before letting go. "You haven't come by in so long. Oh, who are these?" Dark brown, active eyes looked them up and down, and the skin around her eyes crinkled as she grinned. "Newcomers? Oh, can we keep them?"

"Hah, you wish Daphne." He turned to Riku and Kairi with a smile. "This bundle of energy is High Virtue Daphne, the leader of the Eye of Light. They're our seers and soothsayers. I was wondering if you could find out what kind of angels they will be?" He said to her, and she nodded.

"Gladly!" She ran to a cherry tree and picked two cherries off. "Eat these and give me the pits." Mystified by the request, Riku and Kairi did so. Daphne took the seeds and quickly buried them in a tub of dirt. They grew instantly into little bushes. Riku's put out dark feathers instead of flowers, and Kairi's held little sparks of light. "He's going to be a Power and she's going to be a Virtue. What a wonderful thing!"

"Indeed." Galaros shot Riku a thoughtful look. A Virtue was nothing unusual, but Powers were rare indeed. "Well, perhaps I should show you to your rooms." That would be another long walk, but it would get them started on learning the layout of the building.

And it would give the Seraphim a bit of time to think. He felt like he needed it.


	8. Broken Glass

Author's Note: Simple Gifts is a very simple little song, and it's beautiful. Please go listen to it at .com/watch?v=DBOYYlanm1k it actually has a meaning to the story and might be returning later. ^_^

Several weeks later, Seraphim Galaros stood in the Eye of Light and looked down at the City of Light.

He wasn't happy. Something didn't seem quite right, and he had learned a long time ago to trust his instincts. But he couldn't quite put his finger on what was wrong, so it was better to say nothing at all… and worry silently.

Leaving his apprehension aside, things were progressing well. By using Riku and Kairi's connection to Sora, they had managed to locate him on a map and were keeping tabs on him. But for some time, he had been at the demon's summer palace, which was simply impossible to assault with anything less than an army. Demons could sense angels, and no angel would get anywhere near. That included Riku and Kairi now, since they had both started to gain their angel forms. Riku was putting out small, black, feathered wings and Kairi's halo of light was beginning to shine.

But the Queen seemed confident that Sora would eventually leave the palace, and Galaros wondered why. If the demons were coercing the boy, wouldn't they want to keep him tightly under their thumb, not let him wander the countryside?

Galaros reminded himself to have faith in the Queen, and steadfastedly refused to think about the accident. Or what had come after.

The shattering of his favorite glasswork was not a memory that could go away easily, though, no matter how long it had been. Particularly when the remainder of it still hung, suspended in time and guarding the gateway to the Creator of Worlds.

* * *

"Woof!" Sora and Chemistra came in for a landing and Sora stumbled, having to take a few running steps before he regained his balance. Chem laughed, and Sora grinned. It was actually a pretty good landing for him… the first time, he had faceplanted.

Chemistra, it turned out, did have wings… wings of black force that she summoned with a strange, discordant couplet. That was good, because if she hadn't he'd probably have needed a new partner. Flying Rage's always did patrols of the land, making sure the angels weren't getting ambitious.

"So when are we going to be getting a patrol, do you think?" He and Chem hadn't had any remote patrols since he was still learning the use of his wings. But it had been over a week since they had fully grown in, and Sora felt that he was ready. Chem laughed, pulling out her pipe again.

"Maybe you should ask Axel about that, honey." Sora blinked, feeling like he was missing something.

"Axel? But that decision is up to Semmins." Semmins handled all the patrol arrangements. Axel wouldn't have any say in it unless… "Wait, he wouldn't try to keep me here, would he?" That put a bit of anger into Sora's voice. He'd come to the Dark Land because he was bored and stifling. He wasn't going to let anyone wrap him in cotton… even if it was Axel. Chem shrugged.

"I doubt it, but he must be thinking about it. I know I would. Lostra and Verda aren't coming back you know." That cooled Sora's anger, and he winced as he thought about the pair of sisters. They had been due back a week ago but hadn't returned. "My guess is that he's asked Semmins to put you in a group of four since you're new. And that's pretty fair, you might be a keyblader but you've only been here a couple months. But that means Semmins has to wait for something that needs a four pat." Chem took a deep drag of her pipe, and passed it over to him. Sora took a puff on it… he was really getting quite fond of the mild version of the herbs, although he was staying away from the Dream smoke. That was a bit too reality bending for his taste. "You need your own pipe, by the way."

"But I like yours." Sora replied instantly, and Chem responded with a playful leer and laugh, snatching the pipe back.

"You like swapping spit with me? I should tell Axel." Sora snorted at that.

"He'd get mad at you, not me." Axel was turning out to have a definite possessive side, although that wasn't a real surprise. An incubus had tried to seduce him and barely escaped with his life… and had received a banishment from the court, which many considered worse than death. After that, only Chemistra was willing to come onto him, although it helped that she came onto Axel just as much.

Axel's possessive edge didn't bother Sora at all anymore. He'd gotten used to the idea that it was part of how the Heartless showed his love. Still, he wasn't going to let Axel protect him completely, no matter how much he loved him.

* * *

"I can't believe you're not burning your lips and hands off." Riku commented as he watched Galaros at work. He was blowing out a light fixture, and for anyone else it would have been a two person job. But Galaros wasn't anyone else. He was blowing a pipe that would have been too short for a normal person to use, and touching the glass with his free hand to smooth it and make it take the shape he wanted. Sometimes he used tools, but most of the time he disdained them, simply tugging on the glass with bare fingers. It was profoundly unnatural. The Seraphim paused in his work for a moment to smile at Riku.

"The benefit of being a Seraphim. We're elementally powered, and my element is fire." He continued blowing for a moment, and his hand turned red hot for a moment as he applied fire to the glass. "We have a second form, and for me that's a flaming serpent." Riku blinked at that. He had trouble imagining Galaros as anything that dangerous. The Seraphim seemed like the gentlest person he had ever met.

It was almost mesmerizing, watching the angel's strong fingers massage the glass into shape. The heat in the room was stunning, but it was winter in the Land of Light, so Riku found it rather comfortable. And he felt like he could watch Galaros working forever. Kairi had gotten bored some time ago, and had gone back to the Eye of Light. But Riku had decided that he would rather stay and watch the fascinating Seraphim at work.

He wasn't sure what drew him to the angel. Part of it was his sheer physical attractiveness. Galaros was beautiful and seemed entirely unaware of it. But more than that, it was that he seemed… sincere. Riku had met many angels and while most of them just seemed to be people like anyone else, Galaros seemed to genuinely live the virtues angels were supposed to live by. He was kind, gentle, humble and honest yet not hurtful. He almost reminded Riku of Kairi, yet… there was sometimes a darkness in the Seraphim's eyes, a hurt that cried out to be healed. It made him want to…

Riku blinked, coming back to himself as Galaros used a file on the base of his work, splitting it easily from the pipe. He caught the glass easily, then took it over to the cooling kilns. They were still extremely hot, but they would cool the glass gradually so it didn't crack.

"Oh, Riku?" Galaros said with a smile, bringing something out wrapped in a blue silk cloth. "This is for you." Riku took the package, a touch surprised, and pulled away the cloth.

It was a glass cat. It was cartoonish, with a large head, cute little paws and an arched back with a perky little tail. The muzzle, paws and ears were tinted black. It wasn't the most beautiful piece of work in the studio, but it was incredibly cute.

"Oh… thank you." Riku smiled in genuine pleasure. He'd always liked cats quite a bit, although he didn't know how Galaros had known. On a sudden impulse, Riku reached out and touched the Seraphim's hand.

There was an almost electrical jolt of connection, and Riku swallowed as he met the angel's surprised amber eyes. Galaros seemed to examine him for a long moment thoughtfully but didn't pull his hand away.

Then the door slammed open and they both pulled away as if they had been burned.

"Riku!" Kairi's face was flushed with happiness, and the light specs around her head were rotating swiftly. Riku had learned that meant a strong emotion… in this case, excitement. "Daphne showed me something amazing, let me show you." She looked around for a moment, then dashed over to a snowy globe of glass that was half finished and waiting to be fixed to something.

"Kairi, don't!" Galaros said sharply as she reached for the glass, then raised a hand, flicking a shield of glittering force over Kairi.

Just in time, as the globe exploded into a thousand shards. Kairi stared at it, aghast.

"That's… not what happened before…" She was shocked by the violence of the reaction, and Galaros shook his head.

"You were trying to use far sight?" He said gently, and she nodded, subdued. "That requires leaded crystal, Kairi, not glass. It cannot withstand the forces."

"I'm sorry, I broke your glass." Kairi said remorsefully, and Galaros shook his head with a small smile.

"It was nothing, just a light globe. They break all the time, just usually not that quickly. I'm just glad you're not hurt. If you want to apologize, you could sweep up the shards." They were everywhere, and while normally Galaros would take care of it himself with a bit of magic, having Kairi fix it by hand was rather fitting. "There's a broom and dustpan behind the door…." Galaros stopped, his expression blank, then blinked. "Ah, nevermind. We're being summoned by the Queen." Riku and Kairi both brightened.

"Sora!" That was the only reason the Queen could want them. The Seraphim nodded gravely, and started down the stairs.

Soon, they were standing in front of the Queen. There were a half dozen Archangels, a Power and a Cherubim in the room with them, and she nodded at them gravely. On the floor was a three dimensional, magical map that had a spec moving across it… on a path not too near the borders with the angels, but not that far either if they headed directly towards it. The Queen smiled benevolently at them, and pointed at the map.

"Your friend has begun to move, so it is time for us to begin." She looked to the Cherubim, a young man with a thick mane of tawny hair. "Ladiros, you are in command. If the demons with the boy surrender him, let them live. If not, do what you must." Then she looked to Riku and Kairi again. "You will have to be carried again." Neither one was capable of flight yet. "Are you ready?"

"We're ready," Riku said firmly, and Kairi echoed him. They would save Sora, no matter what the cost.

* * *

Sora cast a firaga over the ruined wall, and ducked as a bolt of holy energy passed overhead. Siglio breathed in the energy and cast it back effortlessly. They were rewarded with a scream.

How had it all gone so wrong?

They had been making a patrol to check on the local farms in this district. It wasn't very close to the angels, so the risk was minimal of a serious attack but it was still an important duty. There had been some rumors that the local landlord was working with bandits, and this would remind him that the High Lord was watching.

It had been going just fine when suddenly a strike force of angels had swept in. It made no sense. This place had nothing valuable, just farms and forest, and it was deep inside the demons borders. Raiding on the border wasn't accepted, exactly, but it was expected. By going this far into their enemies land, the angels were just begging for a retaliatory strike.

Not that that was going to help them in the slightest bit.

Chemistra groaned, and Sora shot her a quick glance. They had all fought well, managing to drive the angels off to regroup, but she'd taken a holy arrow in the belly early on. Marcus had gotten it out and put some rough healing spells in place, but she was pale and sweating. She couldn't be moved anymore, and it didn't really matter anyway. There was nowhere else to go. These ruins were the best fortifications they had.

Marcus snuck a peak over the edge of the ruin, and jerked back as a holy shock shredded the stone. Siglio sent a bolt of frost back, and Sora glanced at him questioningly as he cursed bitterly.

"They have a Cherubim out there. I thought I smelled it." His tone was grim, and Sora winced. Angels in general tended to be more powerful than individual demons, because there were so many more demons than angels. Mostly they dealt with that by swarming the angels. A dozen Blades might die taking down one Archangel, but that was an acceptable ratio. Powerful Rages such as themselves could meet an Archangel in even combat.

But a Cherubim was something else. They were the angelic equivalent of siege weapons, and the only thing the demons had that came at all close were the greater elementals and the massed songs of the sirens. Neither of which they had, and they were outnumbered besides.

"We're so screwed." Sora muttered to himself, tightening his grip on the keyblade. "Axel, I'm so sorry."

"Just this once," Siglio said dreamily. "I will return to the faith I spurned so long ago. I will go garbed in glory, and the enemies I have slain shall serve me in eternity. I will die with a smile on my lips and joy in my heart as I rend them to pieces. Log tar ogra. Victory or death!" She lifted herself up to prepare for a charge, and Sora glanced at Marcus, who shrugged and readied himself.

But a sweet, powerful, cold voice stopped them before they began their death ride.

"Surrender the boy and we will spare your lives." The voice commanded, and they exchanged glances. This was unheard of. The angels didn't take prisoners, ever. Demons did, of course… plenty of them had a sadistic side and there was nothing more amusing than tormenting an angel. Particularly since, after living in the dark lands for a few years, they would start becoming demons. Most angels didn't take that very well. Theoretically, if the angels had taken demon prisoners they would eventually take on the attributes of angels… but the angels seemed to believe the demons were tainted and evil, so they never tried.

"What boy are you talking about?" Siglio finally shouted back.

"Sora." The cold voice replied, and they exchanged glances again. Chem lifted her head weakly.

"No," she said, shaking her head. "Don't go Sora, don't." Marcus patted her shoulder, his expression blank. Then there was another shout…

"Sora, we're here to rescue you!" Sora's eyes widened at the familiar voice.

"Riku?!?" He looked over the rubble, and Marcus swore, trying to grab his leg as he climbed out. But no shot came. "Riku, what are you doing here?" Sora paused at the lip of the ruins, looking out at the angels. They were all beautiful and glowing… and Riku had the same glow about him, although fainter. "Kairi!" Kairi waved at him, and he blinked at the halo of light around her head.

"We're here to take you home! Come with us Sora," Riku urged him, and Sora's eyes widened briefly before they narrowed.

"I don't need rescuing, Riku! I'm happy here. I'm… glad to see you, but you shouldn't have come!" Kairi looked a little hurt, but Riku was made of sterner stuff and just stared at Sora. That made him wince a little. "Sorry!" He did feel bad about kind of rejecting his old friends, but still… he was happy here.

"I'm afraid this argument will have to wait." The Power with them was speaking, his voice warmer and more sympathetic than the Cherubim's… but still inflexible as granite. "We must be certain you are not being coerced by the demons."

"They would think that." Marcus muttered to Siglio. "No one could want to be a demon, oh no, we'd have to coerce them…" She shushed him, listening as the angel spoke.

"And if I'm not?" Sora shouted back, and there was a brief pause before the Power spoke.

"Then the Queen will see what needs to be done. But you must come with us. Or we will kill the others and take you." Sora grimaced, and he could see Kairi wince as Riku crossed his arms, frowning.

"Well, that's a slam dunk." He turned to look at Marcus and Siglio. "Tell Axel I'm really sorry about this." Marcus nodded, and held down Chem's shoulder as she tried to sit up.

"No, don't go. I love you Sora." She said, on the verge of tears, and Marcus squeezed her shoulder.

"Don't make it harder for him, Chem. He's a man, and this is a man's choice." He nodded at Sora, expression grave. "Good luck to you." Sora nodded back, climbing out of the ruins, and tried to ignore Chemistra as she began to keen behind him.

A siren's song of loss and grief.


	9. Seraphim

Sora looked at the windows of the room discontentedly, shifted in his chair, and winced. His wings ached. The angels had clipped his feathers to prevent him from flying, which was slightly painful and annoying but they would eventually grow back. And technically, he could still fly… just not well or easily.

Sighing, he picked up a piece of reindeer steak and popped it in his mouth, chewing slowly. The angels seemed to eat mostly meat, with salads made of a strange green, waxy fruit. It didn't taste that good… it reminded him of oil mixed with sawdust… but the demons had said that the Land of Light wasn't very fruitful, food wise. Particularly in the winter. It seemed they had been correct.

He was bored and wanted desperately to get out, but the room was a very effective prison. It wasn't obvious, but the stain glass window with its beautiful pattern was strong as steel and infused with some kind of angelic power. He could touch it, but it was impossible for him to break. As for the door, he couldn't touch that at all. An angel lock had been put on it that stung his hands like acid when he tried.

Riku opened the door, stepping inside, and Sora favored him with a glare.

"Stop being a bitch, Sora." Riku kicked the door shut behind him, then sat down across from him, meeting Sora's glare with one of his own. "You made Kairi cry. Don't you even feel bad about it?" Sora's eyes slid away. He had had several harsh things to say to them as they brought him to the Land of Light, and while the angels had told Riku and Kairi to just ignore it, Kairi hadn't been able to. He did feel a bit bad about that, but…

"You shouldn't have come." Sora muttered, looking down at the table. "I just want to go home to Axel." And it was home. Sora wasn't sure exactly when it had become home, but the Dark Land had fitted with him somehow, and it was certainly home now. "I love him, Riku."

"You love a Heartless?" Riku sounded skeptical. "Heartless can't love, Sora. It's not possible without a soul."

"Axel's different." Sora said fiercely, looking up to meet Riku's eyes, his own blue ones burning with intensity. "He still has a few shreds of his soul left, Riku, and if what he feels for me isn't love its close enough." Sora swallowed for a moment as he thought about how Axel was going to react when he found out Sora had been taken prisoner. "And he… he might do something rash." That was an understatement. Sora was really worried about what Axel was going to do. Riku was silent for a moment, then sighed.

"Well, the Queen says she'll have removed any demonic power from you in a few days. Then you can decide. But you really should apologize to Kairi… we're just trying to help."

"I know." And he did know. But it was still hard to bear.

The road to Hell… real Hell, not the Dark Land… was paved with good intentions.

* * *

Riku sighed as he climbed the stairs leading to Galaros' glass studio. He wasn't sure what to think anymore. Sora seemed pretty much his usual self, just more confident and abrasive. Harder somehow. But he seemed happy with it, and it didn't seem wrong… it just seemed like… Sora had grown up.

Still, it had only been a few months so was that much change normal? Riku wasn't sure. It was all very confusing. Riku wanted to see Galaros working his glass, and quietly think. As he touched the door, though, he heard a familiar and unexpected voice.

"Your work is beautiful as always, Galaros." The Queen's sweet voice floated out, and Riku dropped his hand, surprised. He had never seen her outside the Hall of Light… although the way she often vanished into light seemed to hint that maybe she was everywhere. Riku hesitated, then stayed at the door, listening. It wasn't polite to eavesdrop, but that had never stopped him before.

"You do me too much honor, my Queen." Galaros said smoothly. "I was not expecting you, but since you are here… I was wondering. I sense no bindings on the child." There was a brief pause before the Queen laughed.

"They are too subtle for you to find, Galaros. They must have been set by the High Lord himself. But that is of no moment. For now, there is something else we must see to."

"And that is, my Queen?"

"We cannot let this opportunity pass us by, my angel. Using the boy, we can lure the High Lord to a ground of our choosing and finally strike the head from the viper. Then, while the demons are weakened and struggling we can begin our holy purge and finally remove the darkness from this land."

"Ah… I see." Galaros was briefly silent. "Is that the reason you agreed to… rescue the boy?" Riku frowned as he listened to Galaros speak. He could only detect admiration for the Queen in his tone. The Queen laughed again.

"Of course. He's tainted by the darkness. Hopefully, we can send him and the other two home, but if not… well. We can't have that here. Ephraim will do what needs to be done."

Riku's face felt hot and cold as he realized what she meant, and his fists clenched. A buzzing seemed to start in his ears, but he held back his rage. The Queen meant to kill Sora if they couldn't be sent home, because he was 'tainted.' And Galaros was just listening to this? Somehow, that was worse. Riku felt a sharp jab of betrayal… he had liked Galaros and thought the angel was being honest with them.

"I'm telling you this because, since you deal with the children so directly, it would be good if you could keep them in ignorance of this. It would only worry them."

"As you desire, my Queen." Galaros said obediently, and then Riku heard him begin to go back to work. He hesitated a moment, then knocked on the door. He needed to speak to the angel. "Come in." Galaros looked up from his work as he walked in, and strangely, the Seraphim didn't seem at all surprised to see him. And his amber eyes were dark with an emotion Riku couldn't recognize, as he looked at him.

"Galaros…" Riku felt all the angry words bubbling up, and took a deep breath. But before he could say anything more, the angel took three long strides towards him and laid a finger across his lips. With his other hand, Galaros tapped his ear, and Riku's eyes widened.

_Someone is listening to us?_ Riku's eyes narrowed. It had to be the Queen. Galaros smiled, but it was a sad, tired smile.

"Trust in the cat, Riku, and it won't steer you wrong." Galaros said quietly, then said in a lighter tone. "Did you want to see some new techniques? I'm working on a special piece for the Queen."

"Uh, no, I was wondering if you wanted to come to breakfast. But if you're working on that maybe not," Riku replied, thinking quickly. What was going on? He wasn't quite sure, but he still wanted to trust Galaros, and Galaros seemed to know he had been listening and wanted to conceal the fact that he knew. It was pretty confusing, but he decided to play along.

"Perhaps you should go see if you could share breakfast with Kairi and Sora, and show them the cat. It may not be my best work, technically speaking, but it has some special properties." Galaros said, his tone completely serene. But the sadness in his eyes didn't match that at all.

"That sounds like a good idea. Thanks, Galaros." Riku replied, and beat a hasty retreat, leaving the angel to watch him go. Galaros looked down at a piece of glass, and shook his head.

* * *

Galaros remained in his studio for some time. There were no angels to observe him as he chewed on a thumbnail, quietly thinking.

He wondered when things had started going wrong. He predated the current Queen of Light by quite a bit, but he had served her faithfully for hundreds of years. She had always been hard on them, but she had held herself to her own code of conduct and he had respected her.

When had that changed?

He thought it had started the day the glass had broke. It had been his most beautiful scene… a panel depicting the creation of the Land of Light and the Land of Dark. He had depicted the Creator as an angel with black wings like a Power, with thick raven hair and an outstretched hand, willing the land into being from a churning chaos of light and darkness. The King at the time had liked it, but the Queen who came after had disapproved because he had made the Land of Dark as beautiful as the Land of Light. She thought it should have been as twisted and dark as the demons themselves. Galaros hadn't been able to offer a defense except that he had been inspired to make it that way.

He'd never expected her to smash it. In all honesty, he wasn't sure she had, but something she had done had ripped through the Seat like the scream of a banshee. It had torn apart his greatest work, and he had been wild with grief and rage. The Queen had had to threaten discipline on him to make him go away and drop the subject.

But he was a follower by nature, or at least he had been, so he had eventually settled back into his usual routine. But then the second blow to his faith had come. The Queen had forbidden any angels to walk through the wreckage of his glass to the place the Creator could be met, but when the Creator had directly summoned him… well. The voice of the Creator meant more than any Queen. So he had gone. Fortunately, he had been lucky, and no one had noticed his absence. The Queen could go weeks without summoning him and no lesser angel would intrude if he wished privacy.

It had been the worst experience of his life. He could remember it quite clearly. He had felt separated from his body, lost and floating in space, when he had sensed someone else. An Other. That Other had felt glad to see him, and he had been puzzled because it didn't feel like an angel, and why would a demon be pleased to have an angel present?

It had quickly begun to make sense when their torment had begun. He had begun reliving every pain, every hurt that had brought him to the Land of Light… and those had been cruel hurts indeed. The way his uncle had touched him. The words he had whispered. The pleasure, the pain and the dirty, used feeling that was worse than both.

He had finally told, and his uncle had been banned from the house, but nothing more. He still remembered when he was grown into a young man and his uncle had been invited to a house party. And when he had tried to protest he had been told by his parents, quite curtly, that nothing had ever happened.

That was when he had realized that justice was just an illusion. There was no fairness in the world, and the ones closest to him could not be trusted. Looking for something he could trust, a justice he could put faith in, he had found the Land of Light.

The Creator had brought all that anguish back to him, and drained it off with a lance of fire. But not only the anguish. It had brought into focus the Land of Light as well, all the angels who were his friends, and the quiet joy he had found in his art. The triumph of making beautiful things. The Creator had drained that off too, and he could feel it doing the same to the Other, but suffering shared was suffering halved.

Horribly, in the middle of the pain, he had realized why the Creator was doing this to them. Their entire life forces could not have supported the Creator for even an instant, but that wasn't what it needed from them. It was merely a side-effect. What the creator needed was their emotions, their memories, the things the Land of Light and Dark meant to them. Because the Creator was unstable, teetering constantly on the edge of a kind of senility. And if it gave in to that and lost its sense of self, the senility would be quickly followed by death.

So it took from them mercilessly, imposing a kind of order on itself from their memories, dreams and hopes. And with that realization he had dropped the few defenses he had and given freely, letting it take what it needed.

When it was over his body was a ruin, and he had taken days to recover, hiding in his rooms to hide what had occurred. But strangely, he had felt… stronger. It made very little sense. Galaros worked with metal and glass every day of his life, and he knew that if you flexed a piece of metal to the breaking point repeatedly, or worked glass too much, you would end up with nothing but a mess of broken shards. So he didn't understand why an ordeal made him feel better, more complete.

But it had, and over the years he had been summoned twice more. The sessions with the Creator had made him realize how much he had not grown. Despite being perhaps five hundred years old, a Seraphim and a master artisan, a large part of him had remained in thrall to a small, vile little man. If Riku had touched his hand that way even ten years ago, he would have been indifferent to or repulsed by the attraction. Finally, Galaros had come to peace with his memories and would no longer be bound by them.

That was how his mind felt stronger, and it translated into bolder deeds, but there was more. He had gradually gained powers he should not have had. The Queen had tips of pure light on her wings… he had similar tips that he kept hidden, but instead of pure light they looked like balls of blown glass, glittering like rare jewels.

And he had gained an awareness for all the angels in the city. If he wished, he had only to spread out his perceptions and he knew where each and everyone one of them were, their names and if he concentrated, he could hear what they were saying. It was a power that only the Queen was supposed to possess.

He had justified all this to himself. The Queen should have been down there, giving from herself to the Creator, but perhaps she could not. Perhaps there had been a falling out. Perhaps she knew what he was doing and approved. Perhaps perhaps perhaps.

But because of his new powers, he knew Riku had overheard the Queen's comments to him. And he knew that the Queen knew Riku had overheard. That she wanted him to overhear. And he also knew, with absolute certainty, that there were no bindings on Sora.

And that was the final blow to his faith, because the Queen had manipulated them. She had led a pair of innocent children down the garden path to get what she wanted. Galaros wasn't certain what that was yet, but he would have to be cautious. He needed to pick precisely the right time to act, and his instincts told him it was not now.

But it would be soon. And when he did act, the Land of Light would once again see the power of a Seraphim.


	10. Follow the Cat

Axel stalked through the corridors of the summer palace, and the very air seemed to smoke with his rage. No demons dared approach him and he ignored them completely as he walked to his rooms. If any of them had drawn his attention, they would have died instantly.

Siglio, Marcus and Chemistra had returned with the news of what had happened just this morning. He had wanted to kill them all for losing Sora, but had restrained himself. Sora wouldn't have approved, and it wasn't their fault anyway. No… his rage was at the angels.

And now something was wrong in his rooms. He could smell the angelic stench from here. He slammed open the door, startling the servant, and ignored her as he walked into his study.

There was a white and gold card on his desk, and he probed it angrily but thoroughly for traps. Nothing, just that angelic residue fouling his domain. Lips curled into a snarl, he picked up the card and read it.

_Come to Chalris' Despair in five hours, or the boy will die._ Fury lit his heart, and the card burst into flames, burning into ash. Axel watched it burn, green eyes hard and cold, then vanished into the darkness.

He knew it was a trap, but it didn't matter. He couldn't have brought any of his demons anyway, the angels would have scented them a mile off, and Charlis' Despair was within their borders. Deep within.

And he didn't really care. They would release Sora, or they would burn.

* * *

Sora panted as he struggled through the heavy snow, gripping Kairi's hand. Riku was in front of them, forging a path grimly. Sora's clipped wings couldn't hold him for more than a few minutes, Riku's wings were half grown and Kairi couldn't fly at all, so they were reduced to escaping on foot.

"I still… can't believe… she meant to kill him…" Kairi gasped as they ran, and Riku shook his head.

"Believe it." The only thing he hadn't told Sora and Kairi was that he thought Galaros was on their side. He couldn't be sure, and the Queen could be listening. If the Queen was callous enough to kill Sora, what would she do to the Seraphim? And Galaros seemed so gentle. Riku wasn't sure the angel could defend himself.

"We need some shelter." Sora said, feeling winded. He was in good shape, of course, but slogging through snow wasn't easy and they had been doing it for hours. Kairi pulled out a ball of lead crystal and peered in it for a moment.

"Up there!" She pointed ahead, a bit to the west of the direction they had been heading. "There's some ruins, we can use them for shelter." The three of them struggled through the snow, ignoring the wind that kept picking up.

Sora suddenly stopped as he felt something familiar, and Riku and Kairi glanced around. They could sense a dark, dense, burning power approaching. To them it was frightening… but to Sora it was wonderful.

"Axel! That's Axel!" Sora lifted his hand and unleashed an answering power. Riku and Kairi both winced… demon power was as painful to them as the angel lock had been to Sora. But the approaching power seemed to hesitate, then veer in their direction.

"But what's he doing here?" Riku said, suddenly suspicious. Sora didn't seem to hear, waving at the dark form that was coming closer. Kairi gasped and Riku blinked as the pure black demon landed in front of them. He was wearing the same black robe the other Axel had worn, and had the same red hair and green eyes, but the black skin was truly startling. The Heartless stared at them, then glanced around suspiciously.

"Where are the other angels?" Axel demanded. He could tell Riku and Kairi were half-angels at most and no real threat. Sora blinked.

"They're not here. We escaped." Axel stared at him, astonished, then threw back his head and laughed. All three of them stared at him. "What?"

"Sora, sometimes you're amazing. Why do you think I'm here? The angels demanded my presence or they would kill you." Axel chuckled again as they went pale. He could appreciate true underhandedness when he saw it… but then, he was a demon. "They let you escape!" He summoned his chakras, and as if that was some kind of signal, they heard the sound of beating wings. Not just behind them, but from the front and the sides…

"The woods! It's our only hope!" Riku shouted, and Axel nodded, grabbing Sora's hand and pulling him along as they sprinted for the woods. There was just no way they were going to evade flying angels in the open, even if more than one of them had been able to fly. But if they got under cover… there was still no chance, unless… Axel smiled wickedly, throwing a blast of fire into the air and turning an unwary Archangel into a cinder.

As they reached the woods he turned around, spinning his weapons for a moment as he smiled. Sora stopped, looking back, and his eyes widened.

"Axel!" He yelled, running towards the High Lord. Axel spared him a quick glance.

"Go! I'll distract them." He ordered sharply, but Sora was in no mood to listen. He gripped Axel's arm, trying to pull him back.

"No, they'll kill-oof!" Axel slammed Sora back into a tree, so hard the wind was knocked out of him, then kissed the boy. It was rough, lingering and intoxicating, and when he pulled away Axel kissed Sora's jawline, then ran sharp fangs across his skin, raising a trail of blood as the boy winced.

"Go now." He whispered in Sora's ear, in that velvety, rasping voice. "Or I'll kill you myself." Sora's breath went short as he looked into Axel's eyes and realized the demon wasn't kidding. There was rage and a fey madness there, and he knew Axel had summoned it up to save him… but right now, Axel could do anything. Anything at all.

_Don't make it harder for him. He's a man, and it's a man's choice._

"I'll never forget you." Sora finally said, his voice almost as rasping as Axel's, and a dark, strong emotion flashed in the demons eyes for a moment before he pushed Sora away sharply, almost throwing him into Riku.

"Go!" The three friends didn't stop to watch as Axel launched himself into the sky to engage the angels. They heard an explosion behind them, and that dark, burning energy seemed to erupt. They ignored the screams and the flames behind them, and ran as waves of angel energy seemed to crash over them.

There was nothing else they could do.

* * *

"My Queen, we have captured the High Lord as you commanded." Seraphim Ephraim reported. He was a slight man, with jet black hair that was cut straight at jaw length, and silvery eyes. "We have suffered high casualties." There was no expression in his voice, but the Queen knew he disapproved. He firmly believed that the only good demon was a dead one.

For that matter, she agreed. But she had plans for the High Lord of the Dark Land, and her lips curled into a dreamy smile for an instant before she gave the Seraphim her full attention.

"And the children?" She didn't really care about Riku and Kairi… they would be worthless now that they knew of her true plans… but Sora could have been a very useful tool to use against that arrogant demon she had gone to so much trouble to capture. Ephraim frowned.

"They cannot be found. There is no hint of their power signatures." That made the Queen frown. Two angel children and a demon child couldn't hide their signatures from a Seraphim as powerful as Ephraim. He was the most powerful Seraphim, except for Galaros.

Galaros?

The Queen snorted at the sudden suspicion. As well suspect pigs of flying! Faithful Galaros would never do such a thing. But the High Lord had met them, if only for a moment… yes, that would have to be it. The clever bastard had put something on them to obfuscate their sensing. She wouldn't have thought even he could do it so quickly, but he'd surprised her before.

"Well, it doesn't really matter. They would have been helpful, but they're not necessary. Let them go to the demons… they'll be tainted soon enough." Ephraim frowned faintly, but said nothing. "You may go." He bowed his head, leaving to attend to her duties. The Queen watched him go thoughtfully.

Soon, he would see the grace and majesty of her vision. Or if not, she could always strip him of his power and return him to Cherubim. Or even an Archangel or angel, if she so chose.

It was her right, after all.

* * *

"Sora, try to focus!" Riku shook the keybladers shoulder, and Sora just shook his head. "We're going to freeze out here if we don't find some shelter soon!"

"I don't know anything about how to find shelter here. I lived in a jungle, remember? I know how to set netting for giant mosquitoes!" Sora retorted, before looking down. "Axel…" Riku gritted his teeth, and looked towards Kairi. She was peering in her crystal ball but not having much luck.

It was after nightfall, and the wind had picked up, along with the snow. It was the beginning of a blizzard, and although they were all wearing heavy furs it was still going to be fatal if they couldn't find a place to sleep for the night. Riku shivered as the wind clawed at his face, sending his hair flying and making his nose drip. He was starting to lose feeling in the tip of it, and Kairi claimed her tits were freezing off. He doubted that, but it wasn't impossible.

_Trust in the cat, Riku, and you won't go wrong._ A voice seemed to whisper in his ear, and Riku paused, startled. Was that his imagination or was Galaros really trying to speak to him? And could the glass cat really help?

What did he have to lose?

Stripping off his gloves, he pulled the glass cat out of the bag of supplies he had brought. He was a bit surprised to see it had survived the run intact, but then, it was probably stronger than normal glass.

"Riku, what are you doing?" Kairi blinked at him, looking up from her crystal.

"Galaros said to trust the cat!" Kairi looked dubious and Sora frowned. "It's worth a try-ah!" The little cat began to glow, dimly at first then as brightly as a torch. Suddenly the back unkinked, and it stretched, sitting down for a moment and scratching itself. They stared at the little sculpture as it yawned at them, then set off across the snow. It seemed to float on the top of the snow, running along effortlessly. "After it!"

They ran after the glass cat, following the light in the dark of the night and blizzard. It finally led them to the bank of a river, and down into a spot where the roots of a tree had created a cavern. It was small and a very tight squeeze, but it took them out of the wind… and the tightness of it was an asset in some ways. It made it easy to share body heat, even if it was a little embarrassing.

"Riku, watch where you're putting that!" Kairi admonished her silver-haired friend, and he smiled.

"Sorry Kairi. Want something to eat?" He offered her a piece of reindeer jerky. She took it with a smile. "You want some Sora… oh." Sora's shoulders were shaking as he turned away from them. "Sora…" Riku hugged his friend from behind, and Kairi hugged them both, her eyes filling with tears. "Sora, I'm so sorry."

"S'not your fault." Sora said, his voice muffled, and Riku could sense how much it cost him to forgive them.

It was hard getting to sleep, but eventually they did.

* * *

Axel stayed as still as he could manage, taking care not to breath too heavily. If he did, he would hyperventilate again, and if he passed out he would be jolted awake. It had happened several times, and was far more painful than simply staying awake.

He was chained against a wall, held up by his wrists, his feet dangling only a few inches above the floor. The pressure on his arms and shoulders would have been torturous for a normal person, but for a powerful demon it was only an annoyance. His arms were more than strong enough to support his weight indefinitely.

But the angels knew that, particularly the Queen. The chains themselves were his torture. They had been deeply infused with angel power, and burned like acid where they touched his skin. They also served to drain away his power, keeping him weak and unable to break free. The Queen had lovingly wound the chains around all his limbs, and the pain was excruciating.

She had also added little stones, sticking them to his skin with a bit of magic. They were infused with the essence of ice, and it felt like they were sending spikes of cold into his vital organs. One was positioned so that, if he breathed too heavily, his lungs would hit it. The first time that had happened, he'd gone into convulsions, vomited and fainted. Only to be awoken almost instantly as the Queen sent a jolt of holy power through his chains.

The only thing that puzzled Axel about his situation was that he was still alive. Torture just wasn't something angels were supposed to do. He had known the Queen hated him with a passion, but had just expected to die when she got her hands on him. Maybe painfully, but he hadn't thought it could last more than an hour or two.

So far this had been going on almost a day, and Axel was starting to feel dizzy from sleep deprivation, hunger and thirst.

"Hello, High Lord. Still awake?" The soft, sweet voice interrupted his reverie, and he lifted his head, glaring at the Queen. She smiled at him, her blue eyes sparkling with pleasure. She was carrying a glass of water, and Axel couldn't help but lick his lips. His thirst was becoming another torture.

"Fuck you," he said succinctly, and she laughed.

"Quite. Here… drink." He hesitated as she pressed the glass against his lips… he wanted no more than to spit it back in her face. But more than that, he wanted to drink, and finally that won out. He drained that glass, and she vanished it before gesturing at his chains. The ones holding him up vanished, and he landed on his face. He rolled over just in time to see a small, slippered foot heading for his head.

Then the blow landed, and he knew nothing more.


	11. When Bad Things Happen

"So Sora," Kairi said to distract him. They were slogging through the snow again, although the day was clear now and the wind had died down. The cat was trotting in front of them. When they had left the cave, it had oriented itself and set off. They had decided to trust that it knew where it was going. They were completely lost anyway. "The angels have lied to us a lot, I suppose… or maybe the Queen is lying to them. Either way, could you tell us about the demons?" Riku nodded. He wasn't sure Sora's information would be that reliable either, but comparing the two would probably give them a good start. For a moment he thought Sora wasn't going to respond, but then the boy finally sighed, looking up from the ground.

"Well, what did the angels tell you?" Sora didn't want to repeat what they already knew. Kairi frowned.

"Well, the Virtues I spoke to said that we become demons and angels because the land is filled with energy, and that energy seeps into us, giving us the attributes of the angels and demons who lived here before us. They also said that the lost hearts who call to evil go to the Dark Land, and the ones seeking good go to the Land of Light" Riku coughed as Sora bristled slightly.

"Actually, Galaros told me that chaos goes to the Dark Lands, and order goes to the Light Lands." He said, slightly apologetically. But he'd spent a lot more time around the Seraphim than Kairi, so he'd heard a slightly different story. "Not good and evil."

"That's… pretty fair." Sora said reluctantly. "Most of the people who go to the Dark Land can't live with the rules for some reason. Semmins… the laws said he was still a child and had to do whatever his uncle said until he was eighteen, even though he'd gone to war at twelve. Chem couldn't be anything but a… um… lady of the night, and I saved the world. Then went home and ended up being a child again. Everyone in the Dark Lands has been rebelling against something." That was truly a common factor in all the stories. There was always some kind of mental rebellion, and no one in the Dark Lands was the type to give up and give in. Even the lowest of the low were constantly trying to find a way to claw their way up, and a lot of them did.

"Galaros said that the people who come to the Lands of Light are usually looking for a law they can believe in. They crave order and rules, but their faith in the rules of their world has been damaged almost beyond repair." Riku put in quietly, remembering the darkness in the Seraphim's eyes as he had said that. Riku had a feeling there was a story there, but he hadn't pressed.

"And Riku has a crush on Galaros." Kairi put in cheerily, and Riku blushed, aghast.

"I do NOT!" He tried to shove her, but she danced out of the way, laughing. Sora managed a half-hearted smile. He couldn't forget about the fact that Axel was almost certainly dead… but he could be distracted for a while.

"What's Galaros like?" He asked, and Riku just shook his head, so Kairi answered.

"He's so handsome, it's scary. I've never seen anyone that beautiful before." Kairi said, smiling in amusement as Riku blushed even more. "He has really thick, curly mahogany hair and amber eyes."

"They change color a bit with his mood." Riku muttered, looking down. "They go kind of yellow when he's upset and browner when he's happy."

"See? Riku definitely has a crush." Kairi said with authority as Sora smiled, a bit more genuinely. "He's noticing the angels' eyes!" Riku suppressed the urge to smack her. It wasn't that hard when he thought about…

"I hope he's okay. He's so… so gentle, and if the Queen finds out what he did she's going to be pissed." That really worried him. Sora shook his head.

"I wouldn't be too worried about that, Riku. He might seem gentle but the Rages said that Seraphim are scary powerful. They're the serpents, and apparently the Queen or King is always picked from the Seraphim." Riku blinked at that information. Galaros had said his other form was a flaming serpent, but it was still hard to imagine. "There aren't many of them though. The last time the demons and angels had a war, Axel killed a Seraphim." The tales of the battle were pretty amazing. Sora wasn't sure how much of it he believed, since that kind of battle was confusing at the time and the stories would have gotten wilder. He almost wished he had been there to see it. But thinking about that made him think about Axel again.

"How much longer will it take for us to get to the border?" Kairi wondered aloud, and Sora was grateful for the distraction.

"Probably a day or two." He thought they were pretty far into the angel territory.

In fact, he was quite wrong. It was going to take them at least three days to reach the border, and another day before they could reach a demon estate that could send word to the palace. But that was not something he could know.

* * *

Galaros stood in his glass studio, waiting for Ephraim to arrive. The other Seraphim had requested a meeting, and he wasn't at all sure how it would go.

It was amazing how much things could change just in the course of a day. None of the lesser angels had been party to exactly what had occurred to make Riku and Kairi flee with Sora, so there was quite a bit of confusion and many regrets. Daphne was particularly upset at the loss of Kairi, whom she had quite liked. Many Virtues had approached him about it, and the lone Power who had been training Riku had come as well.

But it wasn't only that. Drawing the High Lord into a trap and killing him was… well, not business as usual but an acceptable tactic. Taking him prisoner was making all the angels uneasy. And despite her vast powers, the Queen could not hide the dark signature radiating from the dungeons… or the edge of pain it held. It was putting all the angels on edge. Far more angels had come to see him about that. Virtues, Cherubim, even a few Archangels and angels who had been upset enough to go directly to a Seraphim.

In the past, Galaros would have used his considerable skills to shore up their faith in the Queen. He was a naturally likeable person and made friends easily, while most Kings and Queens weren't. So he had made it his duty to be a spiritual mentor to any angel who needed it, helping them in any way he could. The Virtues generally handled counseling… many wounded souls came to the Lands of Light… but they would send the worst cases to him.

The Kings and Queens had trusted him to support them. It was distressingly easy to betray that trust. To pick the words and tone to express his own troubled thoughts, to gently snip away at the angels faith in the Queen. For the first time, he was repaying the Queen's trust with betrayal, and that hurt. But it had to be done, and it was partly so easy because the current Queen had already lost the angels faith.

Now Ephraim was coming to see him. That was worrying. Ephraim was in so many ways his complete opposite. Cold as the north wind, remote and intimidating, no one would dream of approaching him with a personal problem. Galaros knew the more human side of him from the one time he'd helped the other Seraphim, but that would mean nothing if Ephraim decided he needed to die. As the Queen had said, Ephraim would do what needed to be done.

On the other hand, Ephraim lived his own values. He couldn't possibly be happy about the pain he was sensing from the demon. In fact, he was probably furious.

Galaros knew Ephraim had entered the room from the sudden chill in the air. That meant nothing at all… Ephraim had never managed to control his aura as well as he should. It was almost a pity, since he moved so silently and it was entirely wasted. No one could mistake that cold.

"Ephraim." Galaros turned to look at the other Seraphim, and felt slightly relieved. It was a small thing, but Ephraim was wearing white, and a pendant of twisted glass resembling ice that he had made. Ephraim was aware of everything he did, so it was likely a subtle gesture.

"Galaros." The other Seraphim nodded, face expressionless, and regarded him for a moment. "Matters have become… odd."

"Yes. Would you like some coffee?" Galaros offered, and Ephraim nodded, accepting a mug. That was a positive sign as well. If Ephraim had come with his mind already made up, he wouldn't have accepted hospitality. Galaros hesitated, then decided to lay his cards on the table. "We are not being listened to."

"How can you be sure?" Ephraim asked sharply, and Galaros smiled. Then he reached through Ephraim's shields and gave the other Seraphim a gentle shove on the chest. Ephraim's eyes widened as he felt the pressure. Galaros was more powerful than him, true, but bypassing his shields so easily should have been impossible for anyone but the Queen. "…I see." He took a deep breath, then a swallow of his coffee. "Are you trying to become King?"

"Yes." Galaros said, feeling a strange calm come over him. This was the moment of truth. A fight with the other Seraphim would be disastrous for his plans. "Will you try to kill me now?" He asked gently, and was surprised by the sudden flash of anger in Ephraim's eyes.

"Never! How could you even think such a thing? We've been friends forever." Galaros suddenly felt choked with emotion at the vehemence in Ephraim's reply. He had thought of Ephraim as a friend, but a distant, prickly sort of friend, and he'd never been sure what the other angel thought.

"I'm… sorry. I misjudged you." He replied, his voice thick, and Ephraim stepped close to lay a hand on his shoulder.

"Everyone does. The cold north blade, enforcer of the angels… there's more to me than that, if not much more. I'll always remember how you helped me after Isaiah." Galaros nodded, not trusting himself to speak. Isaiah had been Ephraim's twin brother, and had died in a demon raid. That, more than anything, was why Ephraim had no use for demons. Ephraim paused, then smiled coldly. "The Council of Light gives their blessing."

"Thank you." That meant Ephraim was confident the other Seraphim and Cherubim wouldn't gainsay him, and the Virtues, Powers, Archangels and angels would follow their more powerful kin. It was a direct reassurance of support, and he was grateful for it. But… Galaros frowned, looking out the stain glass window. He only had to reach out to sense that vast, dark power leeching into the stones and the knife edge of agony on it. "Why is she doing this?" He asked aloud, not expecting an answer.

"I think I know." Ephraim said, and Galaros turned his head towards him, surprised. He'd never heard the angel speak with such a tone of bitter fury before. "You recall the prophecy?" Galaros nodded, unable to understand what that had to do with anything. The prophecy, as they called it, had been made millennia ago. "She's had the Virtues researching how an angel could carry a child to term."

"Why on earth would she want…" Galaros voice trailed off as he went pale. "She wouldn't." Ephraim just looked at him, a queer anger in his silvery eyes. "That's _vile._ And it's not the accepted explanation of the prophecy!"

"You believe that, I believe that and the entire Eye believes it… but the question is, does she believe it?" Ephraim bared his teeth in an expression only the charitable could call a smile. "This explanation would suit her ego." Galaros stared out the window, thoughts churning. He wanted nothing more than to go to the dungeons and challenge the Queen now. But…

_Wait. It's not time yet. There's going to be a special moment…_The thought had the flavor he associated with the Creator of the World, and he turned back to Ephraim with a sigh.

"It's not time yet. There's going to be a special moment. We have to wait." Ephraim nodded, accepting his verdict without question.

There was nothing more to do but wait.

* * *

Axel couldn't breathe.

The new torment had started out innocuously enough. He had woken up with a splitting headache, chained to a stone slab. The chains still burnt him with holy power, but to his relief the ice stones had been removed. They had been replaced with two simple stones, one on his chest and the other over his abdomen. The Queen had been there, smiling at him and toying with a silver chain. Then she had slid a link off the chain and dropped it on his chest.

It had felt like she had dropped a brick on him. A very heavy brick. He had gasped in surprise and quickly adjusted to it, but the chain had hundreds of links. She had kept adding them until he was struggling to breathe, and when he tried to use his diaphragm more than his lungs, she began putting links on the lower stone, forcing him to use both.

After a while, everything faded but the struggle for breath. He couldn't sleep because as soon as he dozed off, he stopped breathing. He could vaguely feel the Queen pinch him and say something, but it was distant, unimportant. All that mattered was the struggle to breathe.

He couldn't have said how long the torment lasted. He felt like he was going mad. Little things were skittering around the edges of his vision, and Axel was vaguely aware that he was beginning to hallucinate. He couldn't sleep and now he couldn't breathe.

Finally, she began to take the links off, and a few tears slid down his cheeks as he started to drift off-

Then hard hands gripped the back of his head, and he arched as another bolt of holy fire ripped through him.

"No sleeping just yet." She said, her voice as cold and remote as the northern glaciers. "You'll sleep forever soon." And with that, she wrapped a hand around his penis and began to stroke him.

_What…?_ Even in his shattered state, Axel could register confusion. For all the skill behind it, her touch was the most unloving thing he had ever felt. It sought to stimulate, not gratify, and she was taking nothing at all for herself. Axel could almost taste her disgust. But unloving or not, her touch was arousing him and he was too weak, in too much pain to resist. She mounted him as he groaned, closing his eyes and turning his head away.

"Think of your little boy toy," she told him as her hips began to move, sliding up and down on him in a controlled rhythm. It felt good, but it was wrong, and he didn't want it…

"_Sora." Axel could remember the morning like it was yesterday. The hot time of the summer, just before the move… both of them naked, stretched out on the bed in an effort to stay cool._

"_Hm?" Sora turned his head to look at him lazily, beads of sweat glittering on his lightly tanned skin. Axel admired him a moment… then grinned and tickled the keyblade wielder. "Axel, ow, hey!" Sora laughed… he was ticklish… then distracted the High Lord with a kiss. The kiss quickly became more, as the boy hooked a leg around his waist._

"_Sora." Axel murmured into his ear as they made love. "I love you." He hadn't said that in the past, but he said it now, and Sora turned his head to kiss him again._

_Finally they parted, sweat slicked skin sticking for a moment. "Sora…" Axel felt a pain, and reached up to touch his throat. There was blood… too much blood. It was staining the sheets, spilling out with every beat of his heart. He slumped back, his mind dulling as the darkness pulled him under._

_The last thing he saw was Sora's tear filled blue eyes._


	12. The Golden Child

_The Prophecy of the Golden Child_

_All things come to an end. The worlds were born from chaos and to chaos they will return. Long before that occurs, the Creator of Worlds will also come to an end._

_Heed this well, for if we cannot bring forth the Golden Child before the Creator leaves us, we shall end as well._

_The Golden Child shall be born of an egg of light and a seed of dark. She will be carried by the one who acts from love, and be fed with the hopes and dreams of all who live in the Land of Light and Dark. It is possible for one side to refuse to give their dreams, but if they do, the land shall be sundered and that side shall not survive._

_Give freely of your dreams, and the Golden Child shall come forth. She will unite this broken land and finally the land will have a heart._

_So shall it be._

* * *

Sora watched, dry-eyed, as the demons prepared for war. Some insults were not to be borne, and the death of the High Lord had sent them into a fury. He could hear the discordant sounds of the sirens as they freed the lesser Heartless from their bindings beneath the hall, reshaped them and bound them into physical forms. Lesser Heartless really had no place in the Dark Land… they came as flotsam floating through the void… but the demons had uses for them. Sora didn't particularly like watching the sirens at work, but it was better than watching as the Hourglass selected a new High Lord.

In the normal course of things, High Lords changed when someone challenged the current High Lord and won. Sometimes the old High Lord survived, but mostly not. When that happened, the change of power was clear. But once in a while, a High Lord died in combat and when that happened the Hourglass would speak to everyone who wanted to claim the title and determine who should hold it. It was said that they looked into the future and consulted with the Creator to decide.

Sora couldn't stand to watch. The pain was too much. All he wanted was Axel back… warm arms slid around him from behind, and he almost pulled away before he caught the familiar scent of smoke and musk.

"Chem," Sora murmured, and relaxed into her arms, gently gripping her wrists. Chem laid her cheek against his shoulder, and sniffed.

"Sora." Chemistra hadn't been as close to Axel as Sora, but she had liked him and hated to see Sora hurting. She hesitated, before speaking quietly. "What would you do to bring Axel back?" Sora blinked and suddenly pulled away, angry.

"Anything! But he's dead, Chem." Sora almost choked on the words, but continued. "You can't fix dead." Chemistra bit her lip, looking at him searchingly.

"I… I don't want to give you false hope Sora. It's a fucking insane idea. But I've got a feeling… the High Lord speaks to the Creator, you know? And the Creator can do anything." Sora stared at her, not understanding. "_Anything._"

"But a new High Lord would never want the old one back," Sora finally said, almost breathless, and Chem nodded with a small smile.

"Unless he loved him." Sora stared away, sightlessly, as he finally understood the idea Chemistra had come up with. It was completely insane and would probably kill him.

But anything was worth a try.

"Thanks Chem!" Sora called as he sprinted away, and Chem waved half-heartedly before taking a long drag from her pipe. It had been very tempting to her to try to keep him, comfort him and make him her own… but it hadn't been right. She just hoped he survived. It would be hard to forgive herself if her idea killed him.

Blynda was peering into a bowl of black water, in the centre of a circle of demons, when he found her. Riku was there too, and immediately went to his side.

"Sora! Me and Kairi have been looking everywhere for you, where did you go?" They had been very worried when Sora slipped away. Sora shrugged, watching Blynda at work.

"I was watching the sirens." Blynda lifted her head and looked at the demon who had petitioned her… Semmins, Sora saw.

"You are not the High Lord," she told the tall, blond demon dreamily. Semmins nodded, accepting her verdict and stepping back. There was some blood on the floor, Sora saw… someone clearly hadn't accepted Blynda's word tamely. Which was incredibly stupid, since there were easily a half-dozen of the most powerful Rages in the room, but there were always fools in the world. "Who else wishes to be tested?"

"I do." Sora said, voice hard as a stone, before anyone else could speak. Startled heads turned to look at him, but Blynda didn't seem surprised at all. There was a pause, then whispers, and Semmins spoke.

"Lad, what are you talking about? You're not ready to be High Lord, even if you have the power for it." But Sora ignored him, watching Blynda. She was peering into her water again, and nodded.

"He is the High Lord." The whispers were cut off in a shocked silence as Blynda smiled. "He will speak to the Creator and succeed, or he will fail… and we will select a new High Lord tomorrow." Riku gripped Sora's shoulder, his knuckles white, but Sora pulled away as Blynda beckoned to him. "Come, High Lord. I will show you the way to the Creator of Worlds."

"Sora!" Riku cried out to him, but as he tried to stop him a dark shock hit his hand, numbing it. Sora glanced back, and Riku could see a mantle of power settling over him. Being High Lord was more than just a title… it was the greatest portion of the power of the Dark Land.

"I'll be back, Riku. I promise." Sora said to him, and hoped he wasn't lying. But lying or not, this was something he had to do.

Blynda led him deep into the hall, deeper than he had ever been before. The walls of the hall became hotter as they went further down, until Sora began to feel breathless. But he gradually got used to it, and understood that the power of the High Lord was already changing him. Blynda seemed indifferent to any discomfort, walking in a cloud of cold air she carried with her. The walls of the hall changed from dark stone to obsidian, and it looked sharp enough to cut, beading with moisture in the hot air.

Finally, Blynda stopped, and Sora swallowed as he looked past her. The tunnel they had followed opened into a large room, but it was hard for him to see anything since it was filled with white mist.

"I can go no farther. The Creator awaits you here. May you be graced with success." She stepped aside, ignoring how a fluttering bit of her robe caught on the jagged walls and was sliced apart. Sora hesitated a moment, then stepped into the mist. Nothing happened, and after a moment he kept walking.

It felt like he walked forever, but then the mist began to thin, and he felt sand underfoot?

"Huh?" Sora turned around slowly. He was standing on the Destiny Islands again. The sand and water were the same, and there were some trees… but only a few. As he watched, another tree appeared, slowly spinning out of the sand. Then Sora glanced upwards at the sky, and had to fight vertigo. There was a vast, spinning void there, a cacophony of darkness and light that knew no end. Swallowing back his nausea, he looked down at the sand. "This… is this the creation of the Destiny Islands?"

"Yes." The voice was entirely normal sounding, and Sora turned to see an angel standing on the sand. Her hair was raven black, sliding down her back in a glossy wave, and her eyes were a dark blue. She was beautiful but subtly… wrong. She breathed only sporadically, as if she had to remind herself to do it, and her movements were jerky. "It was a very long time ago, but I remember. You are Sora?"

"Yes. You're the Creator of Worlds?" He asked her, and she nodded, looking to the left of him. Sora followed her gaze, but there was nothing there that he could see.

"You're… not how I pictured." The Creator had been described to him as a vast, disembodied intelligence, not an angel. She smiled, but the expression was more of a grimace.

"The angels pictured me this way, and you wanted to speak to me. Conversation is difficult in my truer aspect." She paused, remembering to take a breath, and continued. "Although anything I would show you would not be all I am. That would destroy you." Sora couldn't help but bridle a bit at that, even if it wasn't meant as an insult.

"You mean I'm too small to understand?" He asked neutrally, and the Creator laughed, an odd, stuttering sound.

"Yes, but that is not a bad things. You have an… amazing mind…" She leaned forward, so far that it seemed she should have fallen over, but didn't. "You… all your people… create the strangest fantasies. It is beautiful."

"You mean like stories?" Sora hazarded.

"Yes, but those are the… little lies. Little fantasies." She paused, straitening and swaying. "I mean the big fantasies… things like justice. Duty. Compassion. Love." Sora blinked.

"But those aren't fantasies!" He protested, and she shook her head.

"Aren't they? Break down the universe… find any justice? Duty? Love… biochemical reaction meant to facilitate mating… reproduction… attachment to offspring to preserve bloodlines… but it's not just that. You make it more. How do you do that?" Her eyes were fever bright as she stared into his face, and Sora felt that she was really focusing on him for the first time. "I don't know. I learned it from you but I don't know how you did it. Not my plan… just happened. You change. You're the future and I… am the past…" She swayed again, and Sora swallowed. He had thought that the lack of breathing and jerkiness were just because she wasn't familiar with a physical body, but now he was thinking it was because she wasn't in control enough to maintain the body properly. "I… no. No. Getting distracted. What did you come here for?"

"Please, bring Axel back to me?" Sora pleaded, and her gaze turned inward as she thought for a moment.

"Axel. Lea. I knew him. He's gone. I can't." Sora felt like his heart was breaking all over again, as he looked into her beautiful face and heard the truth in her words. "He's gone. If I go after I can't come back. Too close to death. But there's… another way." Her wings drooped for a moment, as if under an unbearable weight, then lifted. "Sora, you love him?"

"With all my heart." The simple truth in those words put a genuine smile on her face, and for a moment Sora was dazzled by the warmth of it. It made her look young and happy, just for a moment.

"Then it's time. Good." She lifted a hand, and held out a little golden egg to him. Sora looked at it dubiously. It looked like a hen's egg, but he could sense a vast, coiling power in it. "This is the egg of the Golden Child. You must… you must carry it with your love. Hold her in your heart, get the demons and angels to feed her their dreams. You may not be strong enough but… the best by far. Axel could not, he did not have enough soul… the other, the Queen, she wouldn't listen. Closed her heart to me. The Seraphim… not in love yet. I thought I could wait on him but you're here so it's now. Once she's strong enough, the egg will hatch. A tiny bit of me and all your hopes and dreams will be given life…"

"Will she be able to bring back Axel?" That was what mattered to him, and Sora wasn't going to lose sight of it. The Creator smiled again.

"She can. I can't promise… she will. But she will have your love for him. I do not think… she will refuse." Sora stared at the egg for a moment longer, then nodded and reached out to take it.

As soon as he touched it, he felt a drain on his heart and soul, and shuddered, trying to stop it. But the drain became more intense, more demanding, and he could feel his heart and soul creaking as it pulled on him. There was a spark of panic, fear, and strangely it wasn't quite his.

"Sora. No. Give her love. You have to hold her with love." The Creator's voice was distant, but Sora thought he understood, and stopped resisting the drain. As soon as he stopped fighting it, the siphon eased, and he reached out tentatively to the presence inside himself. It was unformed, like pure, idealized potential but it held a small part of the Creator's power. And it was afraid, afraid of it's separation from the Creator. He hesitated, and then wrapped it in hands of love, gently cradling it and easing its fear. Soon, it was safely ensconced inside him, quiet and comfortable. Sora focused outwards, and opened his mouth to speak to the Creator…

And closed it with a click. She was gone, and the mist was gone from the room as well. It was just a black cave, carved out of obsidian. He turned to look back, and saw Blynda watching him. He walked back to her, and she nodded to him.

"You have the egg. I see it in you." She said dreamily. "We will have to feed it now… come. It is time to tell everyone what we need." Sora nodded, following her… but occasionally glanced back.

The mist wasn't coming back, and he had a feeling the Creator would never be met here again.

* * *

"The demons are moving towards Beacon Hill. We will meet them on the Plains of Erehwhon." Ephraim tapped the map, and Galaros watched, expressionless. "The Cherubim will be here…" Galaros tuned him out… he didn't understand tactics and strategy at all… and watched the Queen. There was a glow about her, a warmth he'd rarely seen. Apparently pregnancy was agreeing with her, unnatural as it was. Demons and angels stopped aging when they absorbed the power of the world, but that meant they also stopped cycling. This would be the first child ever born in the Land of Light, and Galaros didn't want to know how the Virtues had managed it. The whole thing was sickening enough.

At least the demon was gone. They'd all sensed the sudden vanishing of the dark power, and all the angels had breathed a sigh of relief. Galaros frowned faintly. It was a hard thing to be glad someone was dead, but at least the suffering was over.

Suddenly he felt… something. It was like a quiver through the world, and all the angels murmured, looking around. The Queen frowned and said something sharp, regaining their attention, but Galaros wasn't listening. Something new was entering the world, something interested and interesting, and it was important. More important than anything else.

"…and Galaros will remain here, to maintain things in my absence." That made him blink and refocused his thoughts on the meeting.

"If it please you, my Queen, I would request that I be allowed to come." She frowned and looked ready to refuse him, when he added. "I am hoping to be able to convince Kairi and Riku to rejoin us." There was a murmur of support from the angels, and the Queen frowned slightly at him. He could almost hear her wondering if bringing him was a good idea.

But he'd been faithful Galaros for so long, it didn't take more than a moment for her to decide.

"Very well. Alliana, you will maintain things in my absence." The youngest Seraphim nodded, her soft red hair floating around her shoulders. "Let us begin. It's long since time we cleansed the Dark Land, and there is no better time than now."

* * *

Semmins stood at the parley sign, his hands folded on the hilt of his broadsword. Sora could only admire his bravery. There was every possibility the angels would shoot him on sight.

Sora had wanted to be the one standing down there, but he had been quite firmly overruled. Theoretically, as the High Lord, he could do anything he pleased. Practically, no High Lord could stand against the entire Hourglass when they decided to gang up on him. The irresistible force had met the immovable object and the object had won, hands down.

He wasn't very far away though. He was standing beside a bonfire the demons had built. To feed the egg their dreams, all the demons of the court had burnt an offering, something that symbolized their hopes and dreams as they concentrated on what the Dark Land meant to them. The egg had taken in varying degrees of power from each demon, but Sora was starting to feel swollen with the potential. And the awareness inside himself was taking on more of a personality, starting to flex against its womb. He wondered how much longer he could hold it.

Chemistra had smiled at him, winked and tossed her pipe into the flames. Semmins had offered a small, heart shaped locket. Siglio had put in a dagger. And the list had gone on… and to his surprise, Riku and Kairi had made offerings as well. Kairi had put in the lead crystal Daphne had given her, and Riku had gently put the glass cat into the flames. It had jumped around for a moment as though it was dancing, then had vanished into the flames.

But they were missing a large part, and that was the angels. The angels needed to contribute their hopes and dreams… or the Creator would have no choice but to sever the Land of Light from the Dark Land, and send it into the void. Where it would shatter, killing everyone who lived on it.

Sora was sorely tempted to let that happen, but he remembered the small smile on Riku's face as he mentioned Galaros, and the pleasure in Kairi's as she recalled the Virtues in the Eye of Light. The angels weren't evil anymore than the demons were. They were just… people.

_We're all just people, Sora. Fucking up in a fucked up world._

The army behind him was ready and tense, but Sora exerted his will and they settled back. He'd always been amazed how Axel could get instant obedience, before, and now he was amazed again at how easy it was. Being the High Lord made a huge difference. The sirens were singing, but it was just to amuse themselves, not the grim battle songs they had hammered out earlier. The bound Heartless fluttered overhead or slouched along the ground, and Sora frowned at them, but the sirens had them well in hand. None even looked at him.

He looked up and watched the angels come in. He couldn't be sure, but there seemed to be some confusion as they moved in swirling, hard to hit patterns. Sora smiled to himself… they probably hadn't been expecting a request to parley. Finally four of them landed, and Sora tensed. He could sense the power in all of them… they had to be the Queen and three of her Seraphim. Galaros was easy to pick out, and so was the Queen, with her halo and special wings, but he had no idea who the other two were.

"I am Semmins, Master of the Guard." Semmins said in a voice that easily carried to the bonfire. "The High Lord requests parley."

"You have a new one so quickly?" The Queen sounded amused, and Sora's hands clenched into fists as he stared at her. He wanted nothing more than to attack her, but if he did the angels would have to react. "What does he want, demon?" Semmins ignored the slight, and continued.

"He wants you to make a sacrifice in the bonfire, and add your hopes and dreams to the Golden Child." The Queen's mouth dropped open in shock, and the other angels looked startled… except for Galaros, who looked directly at Sora. He seemed to study him for a moment, and Sora met the angels amber eyes. "The High Lord has the Creator's egg." The Queen suddenly sputtered.

"No! My child shall be the Golden Child, not some demon abomination! Angels-" But Galaros cut her off, his voice clear and firm as he spoke.

"We shall offer our hopes and dreams to the child." The Queen rounded on him, enraged.

"That is not your decision to make, Seraphim!" He met her eyes, his own sad but stern.

"It is my decision." Then he spoke again, and his voice rolled over both armies like quiet thunder. _"By the Creator and the Conclave, I am the King of Light. Surrender and your life may be spared, Seraphim Angelline. You have been judged unfit to rule."_ The Queen of Light went dead white as he spread his wings, the little balls at the tips glittering like jewels in the sun. The other two Seraphim moved behind Galaros, and their body language made their allegiance plain. The Queen looked around at her angels, but no one would meet her eyes, and the demons were watching with interested.

"You TRAITOR!" She finally screamed at Galaros, and flung a bolt of pure light at him. It chewed up the ground and Sora heard Riku make a strangled sound… but when the dust cleared, Galaros was holding a glittering shield in front of himself. He said something to the two other Seraphim, and they nodded, taking wing. Semmins, with the good sense that had made him Master of the Guard, started running back to the demons' lines.

Then Galaros changed. Sora flinched, able to feel the heat even from where he was standing as Galaros shed his human form. It was almost painful to look at the burning serpent, glowing white and blue with heat and floating in the air. Then the Queen changed as well, and the two serpents clashed in midair, sending the other angels scrambling for cover. No one wanted to be in the middle of this battle of leviathans.

Then, suddenly, Sora felt a spasm in the fabric of the world and the Queen was gone. The fiery serpent floated in midair, seeming confused, then settled to earth and turned back into his human form. Galaros looked around, puzzled, then cautiously walked to Sora. There was a call from the angels flying overhead, but he ignored them.

"Where did she go?" He asked Sora, and Sora blinked.

"Didn't you destroy her?" Galaros shook his head, his eyes dark with worry.

"No. She just vanished." That was incredibly strange and worried him a great deal. Then they both looked up as they heard the Creator's voice.

_There's no time for that… couldn't let you work it out. No strength left… banished her to the void… all I could do. Hurry. Oh please hurry._ The land under their feet seemed to lurch, and Galaros began calling orders to the angels.

Soon the angels were making their offerings. Most didn't have personal items, so they just used locks of their hair, thinking about what the Land of Light meant to them. Galaros used a piece of twisted glass, just a shard of something he had been working on, but Sora felt the strength of his hopes and dreams as he added it to the fire.

When the egg began to separate from him, it wasn't painful… only odd. Sora fell to his hands and knees, gasping as it pulled out of him. It almost felt like a physical separation, but it wasn't just that, and he could feel a loss in his heart and soul. But he held to his love and gave to the child, letting her take what she needed to live.

Finally it was gone, and he looked up at the golden egg floating in the air. It was as large as a person now, and as everyone watched it began to crack. A golden, feathered wing thrust itself out of the crack, followed by another, and then the shell fell into fragments, vanishing into the air as the Golden Child stretched. She looked like she was made out of molten gold, but as they watched she changed, her skin becoming a soft peach and her hair turning into a strawberry blond. It fell down past her buttocks, and was separated into two sections, each capped with a pink sphere. She had curving, golden horns that ran back into her hair. Her clothes changed several times, and finally settled into a white summer dress with a gold, flowery print. She settled onto her feet, and tentatively took a step before turning to smile at Sora. Her eyes were the same green as Axel's, and the mischief in her smile reminded him of Chemistra.

"Why is everyone staring at me?" She asked innocently, and there was a relieved laugh. Then they heard the Creator sigh.

_At last._ For just a moment, Sora could hear a childish babbling as the Creator let go. It sounded young, free and happy. Then the presence was gone, and he knew it would never be back.

"Please, can you bring Axel back to me?" He begged the child, and she touched her cheek with one finger, tilting her head to her side.

"Axel… oh yes, Axel. No can do." For a moment Sora felt like his heart would break, but then she smiled at him. It was a warm, compassionate smile. "But I can bring you Lea." Sora blinked. "I can't bring back a Heartless or a Nobody, but I can bring back the whole man, the way he used to be."

"Oh." Sora mulled that over for a moment. It would be a lot better for Axel… Lea… but… "Will he remember me?" There was wistfulness in his voice. He wanted Axel back, even if he didn't remember… but it would be hard to bear. The child laughed and nodded.

"He'll remember you! Both his Heartless and Nobody knew you, how could he not?" Sora looked relieved, and the child began to sing… Sora blinked as he recognized the song.

'_Tis the gift to be simple, 'tis the gift to be free,  
'Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be,_

_And when we find ourselves in the place just right,  
'Twill be in the valley of love and delight._

_When true simplicity is gain'd,  
To bow and to bend we shan't be asham'd,_

_To turn, turn will be our delight,  
Till by turning, turning we come out right._

She gestured imperiously to the sirens, and their voices joined hers, forming a round. Then she gestured at the banshees, and the male voices joined, giving the song a deeper dimension. At last, she called on the angels, and the Virtues with the power of song became part of the round. Everyone listened to the breathtaking melody, and for a moment Sora saw a vision of a young woman with bright red hair, cradling a baby and singing to him. Her voice was soft, breathy, but it was the same song. Then the vision faded, and a golden mist arose, covering everything.

"Sora?" Axel stepped out of the mist, looking puzzled. His skin was normal again, but he still had his obsidian bat wings. He folded them behind him, and rubbed his forehead. "What happened… oof!" Sora ran up to him and hugged him tightly. He could feel the mantle of power, the title of High Lord, lifting from him and returning to Axel and he was glad to see it go. Axel's arms were around him, and Sora sniffed as Axel nuzzled the shorter boy's hair. "S'alright Sora, I'm here." Axel murmured in his ear, and Sora sighed, finally relaxing.

Everything was right with the world.


	13. Fin

The sound of a load of bricks dropping, and shouts, awoke Sora with a groan.

It had been several days since the Golden Child had been born, and things were happening quickly. She had decreed that the spot the angels and demons had met would be the location of a new city… Erehwemos. Which was somewhere spelt backwards and a cute play on the name of the Plain, which was nowhere spelt backwards. Unfortunately, no one could pronounce Erehwemos and it had quickly been christened Erie. When she found out the child had gone off to sulk, but had forgotten about it an hour later.

She still didn't have a name, and was trying to find one she liked. The angels and demons were giving her plenty of suggestions, but right now she was favoring Bon-bon, which everyone was trying to talk her out of.

"What is that racket," Axel groaned, rolling over and trying to bury his head in Chem's side. Sora smiled as he looked at the two of them. They had finally decided to make Chemistra an official part of their relationship, and she had fitted in like jam on peanut butter. Sora yawned, then pulled himself out of the blankets to peek out of the tent flap.

"It looks like a Cherubim dropped a load of bricks and is having a fight about it." That woke Axel up a little more, and he lifted his head with a frown.

"Any demons in that?" The demons and angels were working together to build the city, but only an idiot wouldn't expect a certain degree of tension. So far it was being kept under control with bloodthirsty threats and immediate intervention on any incident. So if a demon was involved, Axel would need to sit on it hard. Sora peered out again and shook his head.

"No, just two Cherubim and a couple of Archangels."

"Fuck it then." Axel burrowed back into the covers and Sora slid into bed beside him, sliding an arm over him. They were almost dozing off when there was a loud shout and a thump. "What in hell. Tell me the damn Cherubim aren't going at it." Chemistra groaned, sitting up and shedding the sheet, crawling to the tent flap stark naked.

"They so are. It's too early for this shit." She rubbed sleep out of her eyes, and sat back against a tent pole. "Oh well, I'm awake now." She shivered, and glanced around, finding a bathrobe and sliding it on. Erie was situated almost precisely on the border between the Dark Land and Land of Light, so it was far chillier than any demons were used to. Axel groaned, but pushed back the covers.

"I suppose so… oh, Sora, Chem. I've been meaning to tell you… as soon as things are sorted out here, I need to go home." Sora and Chemistra both gave him a startled glance.

Since the Golden Child had appeared, things had changed a bit in the Dark Land and the Land of Light. The angels and demons were still immortal and barren, but the links to the corridors of darkness and pathways of light had been strengthened considerably. The place could be found easily on a Gummi ship now, since it had no walls at all. And the demons and angels had been granted a new ability… they could visit their original worlds if they wished. Most had chosen not to. The things they left behind were too painful, or too likely to end in violence if they went back with their angel and demon abilities. And no one wanted to leave permanently… that would mean giving up being angels and demons altogether, as the power leeched out of them. If Sora and Chem had thought about it at all, they would have expected Axel to be the same way… not wanting to return home, not wanting to be reminded of the past. Axel smiled sadly at them. "My mother is probably alone by now. I should let her know I'm alive."

"You have a mother?" Sora exclaimed… but then remembered the red haired woman he had seen, cradling a baby. Had that really been Axel's mother? Axel rolled his eyes.

"No Sora, I was conceived by a tree… of course I have a mother, what kind of question is that?" Chem laughed throatily and called in her pipe as Sora blushed. "She's probably still alive, it's only been maybe ten years. Dad probably isn't, he had a heart condition and what happened to me and my sister… well. I wouldn't be surprised if he's not around anymore."

"What did happen? If you don't mind me asking." Chem said, taking a deep drag on her pipe and offering it to Sora. Axel grinned at them, eyes twinkling.

"Druggies… pass that over when you're done Sora." Sora grinned and did so, and Axel took a deep draw before he started the story. "It was a while ago and it feels really distant now, so sure. To be honest, I have no real idea what happened. My sister and I went to a theater to watch a remake of Harrison Jones: Why does it have to be Snakes, and on the way home we stopped at a park." Axel paused to take another hit from the pipe, then passed it back to Chem. "Then we saw something in the sky. Two things fighting. If I saw it in the Dark Land I'd think it was two Elemental demons having a go at each other, but it couldn't have been that. We had no idea… we watched until a blast came down near us and blew up a house. Then we realized this was bad and tried to run." Axel's eyes were dark with remembered pain, and he shook his head. "We didn't make it. I think she's dead… I was just enough on the edge of the last blast that it tore me apart instead of just killing me. I don't know what force they were using that did that." Even as a Nobody and Heartless, he'd never encountered anything like it.

"I'm coming with you." Chemistra announced, grinning as she pointed at Axel. "I must see the fucked up gene pool that spawned you!" Axel snorted at that.

"Hah! If you weren't two hundred years old, I'd demand to meet your parents, Chem. I bet they'd be thrilled to meet your two boyfriends." Chem smiled wickedly as she took one last puff on her pipe, then vanished it.

"Dad would have gone after you both with a scythe. Speaking of which, how is your mom going to handle all of this?"

"Probably go after me with the psychological equivalent of a butcher knife." Axel sighed as he thought about it. "She's going to be glad to see me, but then she'll want to know where I've been, and this is going to be so hard to explain. And…" Axel hesitated, then looked at Sora. "She's not going to be too pleased with you." Sora looked a little hurt, but nodded and managed a smile.

"My mom's not going to be too thrilled with you, either!" He joked, then looked at Chemistra. "And she's going to think you're a terrible influence."

"I'm a demon, I'm supposed to be." She said serenely, and rose to her feet. "I'm hungry. Would you guys like to eat in here or at the mess hall?" Axel shook his head.

"It'll be too crowded. Could you bring it back here?" Axel was rather missing his servant, but she had graduated to siren just a day or two ago and had managed to get a position in the Hourglass. He hadn't gotten a new one yet… a newcomer had no business in the angel/demon encampment, and the long term servants were all spoken for.

"Sure thing. Don't mess up the blankets too much before I get back." Chem grinned at them, and slipped out of the tent, still in her bathrobe. It was modest enough and she had no shame anyway.

"Does she think we're a pair of sex crazed maniacs?" Sora grumbled, then stopped as Axel's strong arms slid around him.

"Aren't we?" He whispered in Sora's ear. Sora squirmed as Axel's hands started wandering…

"Ax-el! She's only going to be gone for ten minutes!"

"So, we better make it fast then?"

"No! Stop that!" Sora was still blushing and trying half-heartedly to stop Axel when Chem came back. The delicious smells raised both their heads, and two stomachs rumbled almost in unison. She grinned at them and started passing out the plates.

"Today, we got eggs, reindeer steak and hash browns. Oh, and coffee… hey, guess what I saw coming back?" Axel grabbed a mug of coffee and took a quick drink before lifting his eyebrows interrogatively. "That Seraphim, Ephraim, tearing those two Cherubim a new asshole. That guy is scary, isn't he?"

"Yeah, but at least he'll just kill you." Axel's eyes darkened a little as he remembered. The memories of his Nobody were a bit fragmented, but the memories of his Heartless were quite clear. So he knew precisely what had happened to him, and there were some aftereffects. But he wasn't going to let it rule him, and he took a deep breath as Sora touched his shoulder, worried. "I'm fine Sora. Let's eat… there's going to be a lot of work to do today."

He was going to need to make sure everything was going smoothly before he went home to see his mother.

* * *

"Now that I'm King, there are going to be some changes." Galaros looked over the little council he had put together. It was himself, Ephraim, Daphne and a Power named Artemis. She was the unofficial leader of the Powers, and he thought she deserved some kind of real position. "For starters, I'm getting rid of most of the sexual restrictions. Most of us have broken them at one time or another… except for you, Ephraim." Galaros added as the Seraphim frowned. "But, forgive me, you have an unfair advantage." There was a laugh around the table, and Ephraim gave him a small half-smile.

"You're forgiven. I have no opinion on this, it's completely incomprehensible to me." Galaros nodded… it was open knowledge that Ephraim was a hermaphrodite with non-functional genitalia. On some worlds, that would have made him a god on earth, but on his it had made him a freak. Galaros sometimes thought it was part of the reason Ephraim was so prickly.

"The Child might be able to fix that for you, you know." Artemis put in, and Ephraim looked at her, shocked by the suggestion. "If you wanted her to." Ephraim looked thoughtful, but didn't reply.

"That aside, removing those would be a great idea. It's hard enough to give counseling without the children thinking they're tainted." Daphne said firmly, and Galaros winced as Artemis grimaced. A lot of victims of child sexual abuse came to the Land of Light, and straightening them out was hard enough without being told that angels were always chaste.

"Not to mention how much power I spent hiding what happens in the North tower from the Queen… might as well call it make-out tower and be done with it." Galaros muttered, and there was a snicker from Artemis. "I'll announce that tomorrow. Ephraim, how's the mixing going?" They were carefully putting select angels and demons on joint duties, trying to get the two sides familiar with each other. It was delicate work, but the Child had made it clear that the wars and raiding were over now, so they really needed to get to know each other.

The meeting went on for a while, and close to the end Galaros felt an angelic presence in the hall outside. He smiled, easily recognizing it. When the meeting was over, Galaros waited patiently until Riku entered the room. The silver-haired boy seemed uncertain, uncomfortable, and Galaros decided to state the problem immediately.

"You need to go home?" He said gently, and Riku flushed, looking down.

"Yes… how did you know?" He hadn't expected the King to anticipate it. Galaros shrugged.

"You came here out of your love for Sora, not because you were fleeing your life. I was sure you would have to return to your family sooner or later." Although it had pained him to acknowledge that. They hadn't done anything beyond a bit of touching and a light, chaste kiss or two, but Galaros was feeling deeply attached to Riku. Riku stared at him, a bit stunned that the Seraphim was taking it so calmly… but then he saw the carefully concealed pain in his eyes. Riku stepped forward, taking his hands in his own. They felt hot, the burning heat of the Seraphim's nature under his skin.

"Galaros… I'm going to graduate school in a year. I'll be eighteen then… I can do anything I want then. Can you wait for me?" Galaros blinked. A year was nothing, but…

"You… can leave your world? Your family?" Riku gave him a small half-smile.

"Why not? I would have had to leave to go to Uni anyway. I'll just visit them… the same way I would have if I'd taken a job far away." Galaros nodded, speechless, and Riku's tone turned wistful. "But can you wait for me?" He was still young, and to him a year was a long time. Galaros blinked, then laughed.

"Forever, if necessary." He replied, his voice husky. Then they kissed again, and it was not a chaste kiss. Galaros felt a shiver of fear as Riku's tongue slipped into his mouth, but suppressed it. It had been hundreds of years, and he wouldn't be ruled by his fears again.

He wasn't entirely certain he loved Riku, or that Riku loved him. But in a year, they would be able to find out.

* * *

"Kairi?" Kairi looked up from the globe she had been peering into. Far sight was the most amazing thing she had ever learned. She could look anywhere, see anything, provided it wasn't protected by wards. And if she wanted, she could bond her mind to an animal's and experience what they were feeling. The first time she had joined her mind to an eagle it had been the most amazing, uplifting thing she had ever felt. Well, until it dived anyway.

"Yes, Daphne?" Kairi smiled at the other woman, who smiled back a bit pensively.

"I was wondering, dear. Are you going to be going home soon?" Kairi hesitated, looking into the globe again for a moment. Not to find anything, but just to distract herself.

"I… I was thinking of staying actually. Or just going back for a year to finish school." Kairi blushed lightly. "I know that's what Riku's going to do, and Sora's here. I don't have any family on the Destiny Islands, really, so there's no reason I couldn't come back with him." And there was every reason why she should, since her two best friends would be here. And all of her new friends… Daphne and the entire Eye of Light. Kairi had discovered she loved being a Virtue and loved working with all the other Virtues. Daphne smiled, more happily.

"That would be wonderful, Kairi! We really didn't want to see you go. You have a huge talent for this, and you're such a wonderful person. I wouldn't be surprised if you make Seraphim someday." Kairi blushed, then spoke hastily.

"I can't promise anything! Something might come up. But right now, I think I'll definitely be back." Daphne nodded, accepting that cheerfully. Things could come up, but she didn't think it was likely. So eventually, their youngest member would be back.

That was more than enough.

* * *

_In the void between worlds, that great darkness, she drifted. There was nothing to grab hold of, nothing to connect her to the world. Nothing to keep her warm except her hate. She cuddled her hate close, nurtured it, and made a promise to the ones who had betrayed her._

"_Someday. Someday…"_


End file.
